


The Rook and The Bishop

by Rukosband



Category: Naruto, Naruto Shippuden
Genre: Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Gay, M/M, Romance, Slow Burn, Smut, Violence, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-03-03 00:47:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 30
Words: 81,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13329945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rukosband/pseuds/Rukosband
Summary: Nineteen years after the Fourth Great Ninja War, Hidan crawled out from the pit Shikamaru Nara had trapped him in a skeleton of the man he once was. Weaponless, alone, and lost, Hidan wandered the continent in a daze, unaware of the passing of time. When Jashin wouldn’t talk to him, Hidan was ready to bathe in the blood of humanity, including his own, to appease his God.Until he came across a woman who promised she could bring any person he wanted back from the dead. But was there such a person that he wanted to see again?The partnership that was never meant to last slowly becomes something more between two very different men.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work in progress that will take time to complete.

Hidan watched with dead eyes as an ex-disciple of Orochimaru prepared an empty body for some spiritual reanimation jutsu. He didn't understand the details of the jutsu-only that it was different from the standard reanimation and that's all that Hidan cared about. As long as the body was living and not just a walking corpse he didn't care about the technicalities of it. 

The woman, somewhere around the age of thirty or something (she had little time left in this world so what did it matter), had assured Hidan that the body she had grown was empty. Not in the, just a husk with nothing inside, but empty of a soul or mind. That it didn't feel, well, anything. It was just group of cells concocted from DNA in a test tube.

He waited, impatiently glowering at the woman. It had taken nearly a year to get the body to the state it was currently at. From the tiny group of cells, she grew the full-sized body of a man inside a chamber filled with a yellow-green liquid. It had only a tube down its throat to supply it with oxygen and apparently the liquid provided any nutrients the body needed to stay alive.

 A year Hidan had waited. 

Then again, it had been around twenty years since he'd been buried in that pit. A year of being out in fresh air and feeling the pleasantries in what being alive meant to people hadn't been all that long. 

Not compared to the twenty long, agonizing years of darkness.

Unable to move.

Unable to breathe.

Twenty years of unanswered prayers.

Hidan now unconsciously avoided any closed spaces. Even buildings were a struggle to walk into. Which was why he had insisted that this woman do her jutsu outdoors and not in some cave where she'd made her lab and home. He wasn't going to wait around and hope a cave-in didn't happen. 

"Alright," he heard her say, snapping him out of his thoughts. Her preparations were complete and she was ready to begin.

The body had writing all over it. Some kind of seals Hidan guessed, not that he was an expert. He never bothered learning any of those things. Jashin-sama was all he needed. Or at least, he used to believe.

No, still believed, for had Lord Jashin truly abandoned him Hidan doubted he'd still be alive and immortal. Jashin-sama had bigger plans for Hidan-he must if the zealot was still on this earth. 

The woman began weaving hand signs over the seemingly lifeless body. If she succeeded, then a second prayer of his would be answered. A second because the first of his many years of wishing had been fulfilled the moment he was able to crawl out of the dirt like the living dead. That first answer had taken too many years. Had it not been for the immortal body Jashin-sama had granted him he wouldn't have been able to piece himself back together. 

Twenty years.

Complete darkness.

Twenty. 

Only the smell of the earth, the occasional sounds of insects squirming, and the taste of dirt to keep him company.

Two decades.

It hadn't taken long for him to become accustomed to it, much to his distaste. The worst was the silence. No one, not even his god, ever responded to his calls. 

At first he figured his Akatski partner would dig him up. They may have had their spats but the two worked perfectly together. But that Shadow piece of shit-the one that had buried him in a grave-had said that his partner wasn't coming. And when he never came, Hidan had hoped, prayed that some curious idiot would dig him up and he'd be free. Except that never came to be either.

Instead, Hidan had to eat his way to his other parts. "Eat" not necessarily the right term since he was just a head but it didn’t take much of an imagination to picture what he had to do. It was slow. Painful. On most days, unaccomplished. He was fortunate that the ground was loose. That he could move his head, even just a fraction of an inch, but he could move. And body part by body part he was able to rebuild himself.

Now he stood watching a woman whose name he had long forgotten, a year or so after his rebirth, make his second prayer come to reality.

A life he planned to sacrifice when the time was right.

She finished her hand weaving, bit her thumb, and rubbed the oozing blood on each of her remaining fingers. Then, placing a hand on the body's head and the other on its stomach, she released her chakra. Summoning circles and symbols spread out, wrapping around the body.

But nothing happened.

The woman looked suddenly exhausted but continued to hold her hands in place.

A moment passed. Then another. 

Suddenly the body convulsed. Eyes flew wide open and the body gasped and gurgled for air. It was a disturbing sight and Hidan released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. The woman stepped back admiring her work. 

Had she done it? Had she really put a soul into this body? Hidan stepped forward. If she had then Hidan had to know: was it the right soul? 

The man had rolled off the table and was between coughing and vomiting fluid that Hidan guessed was the same fluid that helped nurture the body in its containment tube. It struggled learning to breath on its own for the first time and clutched at its throat. After another minute, the spasms grew farther apart and although it was panting heavily, it seemed to have learned to breathe properly.

Hidan craned his neck to get a better view, hardly paying any mind to the woman's celebration of her success. A success Hidan wasn't quite convinced of as of yet. 

Curiosity sparkled in his eyes, or was it hope as he took another step forward? He opened his mouth to speak but no sounds came forth. Why was he feeling so nervous? Whether he got what he wanted or not, the creature trembling on the ground was no threat. Though the being was tall, it was thinner than a man of that height should be. It had the muscle mass of a gangly child-not that Hidan was in much better shape. 

Hidan had, after all, spent two decades without food or water or even sunlight. Malnourished didn't even begin to describe the state he was in. Freedom hadn't meant he was back to his old self either. He had no appetite, so what little food he forced down had no appeal. In actuality, everything he put into his mouth only tasted of dirt. A part of him believed he had more of it than blood running through his veins. He still coughed up grit every now and then.

Hidan swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry, and took another step forward. The man was attempting to get off the ground, but with a body that's never moved on its own, it was like watching a toddler’s first go-around at standing. The sounds the man produced were of someone who was struggling and in pain and between each strain of moment, a heavy breath. 

Pale fingers gripped the table and the new man swung an elbow over to hold himself up. His hot breath fogged the metallic surface as he held himself in place to rest.

A shadow cast over the table in front of the creature's pained face. The sun was beginning to set and Hidan had moved closer, blocking the harsh light that radiated behind him. 

Hidan tilted his head slightly. He parted his lips and uttered a name. A name he had so often cursed and laughed at that he could never forget it. A name belonging to a man. A man he had always wanted to kill as a sacrifice to his god but had never been given the chance. A man who had been dead for the same amount of time Hidan had been trapped in his temporary grave. A man Hidan wasn't sure he could suffer spending another moment with, or another moment without.

He spoke a name.

"Kakuzu...?"


	2. Chapter 2

Emerald eyes flew open at the sound of a voice. The voice was familiar. He could remember it-but from where? When? 

His eyes ached under the harsh light of the setting sun. Or was it rising? No, that was not what was important. Someone was standing in front of him. They had said something familiar. A word. No, a name. Whose name?

He narrowed his eyes as he tried to search for an answer, his anger rising. He should know this. He tried to remember, tried to think back to where he'd heard that voice say that name. 

That name. 

_His_  name. 

Kakuzu glanced up at the figure before him, screwing up his eyes as he tried to make out who stood there. The sun behind the man (he was damn sure was a man) was making it difficult to see. At first he could only make out the silhouette but as the sun gradually sunk behind the trees, it's harshness diminishing with it, he could begin to decipher this person. 

He recognized the man, and yet at the same time, didn't. His clothes were tattered and dirty, he had unkempt hair and his face was hollow. His collarbones protruded out and a faint trace of his sternum was peeking through from underneath his skin. The state the man was in Kakuzu could only associate seeing in the weak and starved and the old men who were awaiting death. Kakuzu didn't remember ever associating himself with the weak and this man looked ill and frail.

The longer Kakuzu stared, the duller the man's face became. The hollowed eyes began to lose what little luster they still had and the corners of his pale lips fell to an unreadable expression. It was a look Kakuzu had seen before. Not with this face, but on many others. It meant the person had given up. That they were accepting defeat and no longer felt anything inside. 

As the light began to fade, Kakuzu's eyes adjusted. He began to make out faint scars along the thinned framed man. His body seemed to be littered with them. The unruly hair was a lighter color, appearing almost blond in the dying sunlight and as the shadow lessoned on his face, Kakuzu could make out his features. 

A straight nose, a broader chin and a jawline that curved his face-had it not been for the sunken eyes and sickly cheekbones, Kakuzu presumed he was much more presentable had the man been in a healthier state.

An image flitted into mind. It was hazy and details were difficult to interpret but he could picture some of it. Yes, he was beginning to remember this man. He remembered being out together, on missions for... 

For something Kakuzu couldn't recall. He wracked his brain to pull together what he was forgetting. He was vaguely aware of someone else watching him. A woman judging from the sound of her voice but he didn't recognize it. His attention was on someone else. He cast his green eyes onto the man again hoping to find an answer. The man before him was even worse off than when he'd first laid eyes on him. His shoulders had slumped and his head was tilted back. His face wasn't completely expressionless, but it lacked any real emotion. 

An emotionless look Kakuzu was familiar with. 

_That_  look. The look of someone who had relinquished finding happiness.

As Kakuzu searched for anything that could lead him to figuring out what the situation was, he halted as he met listless eyes. Eyes of an unusual color: red-violet. 

The jumbled pieces fell into place. Kakuzu swallowed, his mouth feeling strange. He attempted to speak. "Heee-" It was all he managed before he broke out coughing. He made another attempt, trying hard to form the word but again his voice cut out. 

He waited for his coughing to pass and tried again. "Hii... Hidan...?" His voice cracked slightly and his throat stung. He couldn't comprehend the situation but as he looked up into those reddish eyes, he saw a light begin to creep back in. 

With newfound energy, the man, whom he now believed was Hidan, shuffled closer. "Kakuzu..." he spoke his name again. "Kakuzu, is it really you?" 

Was that desperation in his voice? No. It was more like relief mixed with hope. Why was that? Kakuzu become more confused. As memories trickled in he began to mash together what he could last remember: a battle. A war. A war waged by Madara Uchiha. A body that couldn't die. A reanimated body. 

The reanimation jutsu.

Kakuzu looked down at his arms. He slumped back onto the ground and stared speechless at what he saw. These weren't his arms. Not the ones he remembered. No tattoos. No stitching. They were thin-hardly any muscle at all. He began to feel and pat himself. He hadn't realized he was stark naked until now, but that hardly mattered. This body wasn't his and Kakuzu couldn't figure out why.

He swung his head to look back at Hidan. "Hidan," he started but paused to swallow. "What the hell is going on?" he finally managed to croak out.

His old partner breathed out in an almost sighing like fashion. His red eyes seemed to warm as a slight smile eased onto his face. Only slightly, like he didn't have the energy to waste on a smile. 

Before Kakuzu could question more, a wave of nausea swept over him and his vision began to blur. He heard Hidan call his name again as he steadied himself. He felt panic rise up into his chest. Was the jutsu over? Was he going to return to the afterlife? Kakuzu bit back his own retort. He wasn't sure how long he'd been dead, but he didn't recall any afterlife. 

His panic subsided as he gave a slight chuckle. There was no afterlife-at least any that he could recollect. And no afterlife meant no god of any kind. Like the god Hidan so foolishly devoted himself to. He couldn't help a small thought. He remembered the countless religious nut-jobs he'd encountered throughout his life. The ones who had condemned him to Hell for being a non-believer in whatever fantasy they partook in.  _Or perhaps_ , he thought,  _perhaps_ because  _I don't believe, I don't get to go to a Heaven or Hell. I'm just in nothingness._

His body felt heavy and numb and he could just barely feel himself collapse onto the ground. Kakuzu could hear Hidan and the woman speaking as his vision started to go dark, their voices growing faint.

"What's happening to him?"

"It's okay! He's just exhausted. He just needs time to adjust."

Adjust... Adjust to what?

The faint ringing in his ears steadily grew louder at each breath. He could no longer see what was happening and the argument behind him dissipated as the ringing completely took over. 


	3. Chapter 3

Kakuzu's eyes fluttered open. As his sight adjusted he took a glance at his surroundings as well as he could manage without moving. 

He was inside some kind of cave, or at most an underground facility. The nearest walls and ceiling were made of solid stone and he could smell the dampness that came with underground dwellings.

A faint glow coming from the other side of the room helped him judge himself. A musty blanket lay over him and a makeshift pillow under his head. He wasn't lying on the ground-he could feel a springy cot under him and the faint feeling of pants meant he wasn't completely naked.

Kakuzu flexed his hands under the blanket. They didn't hold the strength he remembered they once had. He doubted he could even throw a punch. In his current state a fight wasn't going to be possible. 

Unable to sense any other life forms, he scanned the room. He was right-he was definitely in some underground base and he had yet to determine if he was a prisoner or not. The room was small, devoid of almost any furnishings and a door was closed at one end. His only source of light was an oil lamp that lay on the table opposite him.

He sat up, a fight in itself at first, and swung his legs over the edge. Someone had dressed him. Or at least had the decency to give him pants. He tried to focus on what he could see but the light was too dim to make out much. Not that he needed it. He could already tell this body was different. 

On shaky legs, he stumbled over to the lamp. He needed more light. He needed to know what this body was. Kakuzu turned the knob that fed the flame more of the wick. In return he got the light he required. He collapsed into the wooden chair and steadied his breathing.

Kakuzu ran his hands over his bony form. His frame was small with hardly any muscle lying under the soft skin. Such soft, unmarked skin. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had skin so smooth. No scars, no calluses, no stitching, and no roughness from decades spent doing hard work in the natural elements. 

Kakuzu frowned. This meant his body was weak and he hated the weak. He skimmed his hands around the table and found the broken end of a dull blade. He gripped it as well as he could and pressed it into his left forearm. There was pain but he had to see if this was real.

Blood welled up and began to run down his arm as he sliced across his flesh. Kakuzu waited for the strands that would normally have come out and sealed his wounds, but none came forth.

He slumped back into the chair, blade still in hand. Blood trickled down his arm in rivers, seeping into his clothes and creating small puddles on the ground. He wasn't sure if he should care or not. If this was Hell, then there was no way he could die. Hell was supposed to be designed to let you suffer eternity. He scoffed to himself. _And leave it to the Devil to make Hidan my jailer._ If he had been reanimated then the wound would not have bled and it would have closed by now. And if he was alive, by some miracle, did he want to be?

Kakuzu stiffened. He listened as distant footsteps made their way in his direction. He tried to take in as much detail about the source of the noise as he could. Whomever it was they were dragging their feet. 

Instinct screamed at him to prepare for a fight but in his condition he could barely hold his own against a small child. A skilled enough shinobi would have his throat slit in the blink of an eye. So Kakuzu forced himself to relax. He needed to understand what was happening to him and being aggressive wasn't going to win him any favors.

The door creaked open. No sound of a lock being disengaged meant he wasn't quite a prisoner-at least not yet. Kakuzu watched, his green eyes narrowing only to reopen in slight shock as the man who entered was none other than Hidan. Or at the very least, what appeared to be Hidan. Kakuzu couldn't be too sure. He wasn't much of a sensory type to begin with and clearly this body's chakra was too pathetic to be useful. 

Hidan braked on his entrance as he stared bewildered at Kakuzu. "Oh, you're up-" He cut off as his eyes widened. Hidan dropped the bag he had been carrying and sped over to Kakuzu, grabbing his bleeding arm. "What the hell did you do?" Hidan looked around in a panic before growling to himself and ripping off a strip of his own cloak. 

Kakuzu gripped the dull blade in his other hand, resisting the urge to thrust it into Hidan's neck. He heavily debated on it for it would solve one mystery: if the man died then he was an imposter but if he survived then it was definitely Hidan but Kakuzu didn't have the strength to risk it. He didn't know who else was around. This Hidan may be thin and weakened but that didn't mean there weren't stronger opponents nearby.

He was so focused on watching Hidan that he ignored the pain in his clenched fist. As Hidan finished tying the filthy cloth around his wound, he muttered, “For fucks sake, if you’re going to die at least let me have the fucking honor of ending you myself.”

Kakuzu glared at him. It wasn’t hard to mimic the man. Throw in some curse words and preach about his god and that basically summed up Hidan (excluding his inability to die easily, that is). He really wanted to plunge the broken blade into that neck. Just cut open an artery and let the blood flow. His fist was shaking as he fought the craving.

Hidan turned around and moseyed over to the bag he’d dropped. “That bitch said you’d be asleep a while but she didn’t say you’d take almost two fucking days.”

Kakuzu observed as Hidan checked the contents of the bag. Two days? It had been two days since he’d last been conscious? He supposed that made sense. This feeble body could barely support him enough to cross the small room.

“She also said,” Hidan continued, snapping Kakuzu’s attention back on him, “that you’d be hungry when you did finally wake up.” He plopped the bag onto the table and rummaged through its contents. “I grabbed what I could find but there isn’t much.” He pulled out a used water bottle, a couple of emergency rations and what looked like a half opened bag of crackers.

Kakuzu hadn’t thought about eating until Hidan had made him aware of his hunger. He wasn’t looking forward to the pitiful meal laid out before him but what right did he have to complain?

He cast a glance at Hidan who had been starting to look nervous for a while now. The red eyes wildly looked around for a brief second before Hidan squeezed them shut. “I’m-I’m going to find-find something else to get you,” he stuttered. His breathing began to pick up the pace and he shuffled backwards. He stammered, “I-I’ll be back later.”

Kakuzu didn’t think Hidan could look so tense as he backed out of the room. Almost like he’d seen a ghost. He had shut the door behind him but the sound of a lock didn’t follow. _So I’m not confined to this room. That’s interesting_. He may have more freedom than he had first assumed but that still hadn’t solved everything.

Hidan had left in such a hurry Kakuzu hadn't had the chance to get some answers. That is, if that really was Hidan. Kakuzu couldn't see reason as to why Hidan would look so jumpy. Perhaps he really was an imposter and they couldn't hold their transformation jutsu for much longer. 

Yet, a part of him wanted to believe it was the real Hidan. Kakuzu was still trying to remember the details of his life. Memories were jumbled and unclear. It took time to organize his thoughts into a more coherent timeline. The more recent the event, the more he was able to piece the puzzle together but memories of his past, memories of a childhood or village shinobi life seemed to allude him. This wasn't new. During his time with Akatski he was losing the less important parts of his past. He had been, at the time, pressing the age of a hundred. And like most people, insignificant things were forgotten.

Kakuzu unclenched his fist that had been hiding the blade and tossed it onto the table. He hadn't realized he had been holding it so tightly. His palm was bleeding from fresh cuts and his fingers were stained red. His hand stung but it was a mosquito bite compared to the hunger that was building. 

Kakuzu fumbled around with the package of one of the rations but the bright red liquid was making it difficult to find any grip. He was growing frustrated and that brought anger. He growled under his breath as he tried to rip it open, upset that he was being bested by a wrapper. He bit down on one end and pulled at it with his teeth. Finally the foil tore and the fruity aroma of the protein block filled his nostrils. 

Pissed off and starving, he bit into the block without a second thought. He didn't even hear a person reenter the room until the door bounced into the wall. Startled, Kakuzu jumped in his seat a little and quickly swiped the broken blade off the table. He had been mid-chew when Hidan came storming up to him almost out of breath. 

Hidan's eyes darted around. "How-how did you cut yourself?" 

Kakuzu forced down what was in his mouth in a loud gulp. If Hidan was going to make demands, he should sound less frightened if he wanted results so Kakuzu remained silent. He glared as red eyes skimmed back and forth from Kakuzu to the smears on the table to the bloodstained wrapper and back again. Hidan suddenly reached out with the speed a snake as he made a grab for Kakuzu’s right arm and forced his hand open. Kakuzu tried to resist as the broken blade clattered onto the floor but like he already knew, Hidan was much stronger.

“Fucking shit, Kakuzu,” Hidan cursed. He still held onto Kakuzu’s arm with bony fingers and snatched up the water bottle with his free hand. He twisted off the cap with his mouth and poured half its contents onto Kakuzu’s still bleeding palm. He wiped away what he could with the rags he called clothes and let go so he could tear off another section of his cloak.

Having given up the struggle, Kakuzu leaned back and let Hidan do as he pleased. “Hidan,” he finally spoke after the silence went on long enough. Hidan paused and glanced up but went right back to wrapping up his wound without a word. “Hidan, what’s going on?”

Hidan lingered on Kakuzu’s hand for a moment and then let go. “You should eat a little and get some rest.” He scooped up the blade fragment and started to back out of the room.

He wasn’t going to answer? “Hidan,” Kakuzu called out again. He wanted to give chase but he didn’t have the strength.

Hidan was looking everywhere but at Kakuzu. “Just get some rest. I’ll–I’ll explain later. I just-I can’t stay here right now. I’ll be back, I just-I have to go.” The door closed quickly behind him and Kakuzu waited for the sound of his rushed footsteps to fade until he was sure he was gone.

Kakuzu’s shoulders slumped. _What the hell is going on?_


	4. Chapter 4

Kakuzu woke with a start. The faint scent of smoke had roused him. He wasn’t sure how long he had been out this time around but at least he had sent himself to bed. Too tired and nauseous after eating half the nutrition block last night, he decided it was best to get some rest and tackle the questions he needed answers to when he had more strength.

Just like what he was led to believe, the door was unlocked, and he stumbled his way down an ill-lit corridor. Candles sat perched in little cutouts in the walls. Most were lit, many on their last stretch of wick, and the ones that had burned to nothing were solidified pools cascading onto the floor.

Kakuzu tried to observe what he could as he made his way through the hall. There wasn’t much to see. Whatever this place was supposed to be, it lacked rooms. He couldn’t find any markings or insignias either to help give him a better idea of whose place this was.

By the time he saw the signs of natural light, he was panting. The effort it was taking to walk such a short distance was upsetting. He was already hugging the wall to support himself and sweat was beginning to bead on his skin. He trudged on. The burning smell was becoming more potent and a slight haze filled the air.

Kakuzu flinched as he stepped into the light. Having grown accustomed to his dark living quarters his eyes burned with his temporary blindness. The hand he held up had little success in dampening the sun’s effects. Once out, he braced himself against the entrance. He furiously blinked until the light lost its harshness and he scanned the area.

It was probably still morning, maybe closer to noon. The trees were full of leaves and wild flowers blossomed below. Late spring, maybe early summer and as he further observed, probably somewhere in the Land of Water. Fire Country was possible too, but he didn’t think Hidan was foolish enough to refuge in the land that had led them to their deaths.

Then again, this was Hidan. His former partner wasn’t exactly known for his quick thinking and battle strategies. And speaking of him, there he was, standing in front of a small bonfire in what looked to be him burning paperwork and chemistry sets. He had piles of materials around him, each waiting their turn to be added to the inferno.

Kakuzu leaned against the entryway and crossed his arms. He waited silently, glaring at the man in tattered clothing. Hidan tossed a box full of glass beakers into the flames and went to reach for more when he finally noticed Kakuzu. He looked genuinely surprised to see the darker skinned man out of his room. “You shouldn’t be out of bed. Go back and-”

He was cut off as something exploded, sending a wave of heat as the flames stretched upwards. Hidan had jumped a little and stood poised as if expecting trouble, but the fire died back down, having eaten up whatever accelerant had fueled it. He swiveled back to Kakuzu looking cross. “Go back and rest,” he said with a dismissive wave.

Kakuzu narrowed his eyes. “No. Not until you explain to me what is going on.” Those were bold words coming from someone who couldn’t even stand on his own two feet.

For the first time since his awakening in this new body (however many days ago that was) Hidan was beginning to look like his old self. Don’t get it wrong-he still looked sickly. He just didn’t seem as lethargic. Like his life had meaning again.

Whatever that meant.

Hidan pursed his lips and looked back at the fire. “I’m in the middle of something right now. Just go back to sleep.”

Kakuzu held back a growl of frustration. “I’m not tired,” he lied. “I want answers, Hidan.”

The half-starved man had turned back around to face him, but his gaze didn’t stay on Kakuzu for very long. “I’ll explain later when I have time. I have to take care of some things first.”

They were both quiet for a few breaths. Once Kakuzu held the other man’s gaze again, he sighed. “Fine.” He let his head fall back a bit so he could look down on Hidan in a pathetic attempt at a power play. “But I want clothes. And food that _isn’t_ expired.”

Hidan held his gaze a moment longer then averted his eyes. In an almost annoyed tone, he said, “Alright, fine. I’ll see what I can do.”

_Hmph._ Kakuzu pushed off the wall. He had to walk slowly back into the cavern to prevent his knees from buckling out from under him. His victory had been small-very small-but a victory nonetheless. He wasn’t going to show any weakness in the face of someone he once thought as beneath him. But after he was back in the shadows of whatever hole they were hiding out in, he propped himself against the wall.

Kakuzu grit his teeth. This sucked. He hated this feeling of helplessness. Hated that he had to rely on someone else for his survival. Hated that nothing made any sense and he was left more and more confused the longer he was left unanswered.

Was he alive? Or was he dead? Was any of this real or was this some cruel joke Hell had created just for him? Either way, it had started out shitty and it wasn’t getting any better.

 ~~~

Hidan watched Kakuzu until he disappeared into the darkness. The man had been physically conscious in total of no more than a few hours and was already making demands. Not that Hidan could blame him. Had their roles been reversed, Hidan would have bitched kicking and screaming until he had gotten what he wanted.

Hidan frowned.  _Dammit_... Did he just admit to being more immature than Kakuzu? He turned his attention back to the fire and scratched the back of his head. "Fuck me," he complained. Now he was in for it. There was still so much shit left inside that he still had to burn and now he had to be Kakuzu's errand boy. But it wasn't like he hadn't already thought about getting some kind of clothing for the older man. 

_Wait... Is he older?_  Hidan contemplated that thought. He supposed in spirit, yes Kakuzu was old and even though he looked to be in his late twenties, the body he had now was barely a year in age. So did that make Kakuzu younger than him? Hidan scrunched his face. No, even if he now was physically younger, Kakuzu would always be an old man to him. And if his attitude earlier proved anything, he was still the same grumpy heathen Hidan had been forced to partner up with all those years ago. 

Except with a new body. 

A weaker body.

When Hidan had come across Kakuzu the other night excessively bleeding from a fresh cut, he had felt an alarming panic. Kakuzu hadn't said much just let him wrap up his wound while he silently stared. But the longer he remained, the more unnerved Hidan had become. It felt like the walls were closing in on him and it was getting harder to breathe.

So he had run away. 

Only to realize some short time after stepping outside, that Kakuzu was bleeding, and Hidan didn't know why.

He had debated with himself on going back in to what once was that woman’s home. He says ‘was her home’ because she was no longer around. After the success of the jutsu, she wasn’t needed anymore. And she knew too much. She really was pitifully weak.

But that was one problem he’d already solved. During that earlier moment he needed to tackle his inner struggle of going back inside. Kakuzu wasn't exactly someone who would off himself. The man had reached his own form of immortality, as flawed as it may be. He never openly sought his own death in the past-only brought it onto others. So when the realization hit Hidan, that maybe Kakuzu was testing the body he now guised, or that perhaps he wanted to return to the afterlife, Hidan had to make sure neither occurred. 

Not yet, anyway. Not until the time was right.

So Hidan plunged back in but he made damn sure to make it quick. To some relief, it seemed Kakuzu had no intention of ending himself. He was, as Hidan had first assumed, just testing his new body. But Hidan took the sharp fragment Kakuzu had tried to hide anyway. Not that there weren’t other ways he could maim himself, but he felt better without Kakuzu having it.

Now he stared absently at the dying fire. He was going to have to finish burning all of that woman’s stuff later. Heaving a long sigh, Hidan covered his face with his hands and rubbed his eyes to rid them of their dryness. He dragged his hands down, pulling his skin. “Uuuggghh… I don’t wanna do any of this,” he moaned.

 ~~~

Hidan had traveled some distance to ensure he didn’t commit any crimes too close to where they were hiding out. He thought he was tired earlier. Now he was exhausted and just wanted to curl up and sleep.

However, he was in luck. Hidden among the trees, he had been stalking along the side of a road for some time and came across an older man. An older man who was alone. He quickly prayed to Jashin to forgive him as he broke the man’s neck. He knew he should put Lord Jashin’s commands above everything else but he also knew that had he done his usual ritual, the clothes would be ruined, and he’d never hear the end of that from Kakuzu.

He pilfered what he could carry and dumped the body into a nearby ditch. No one would care if an old man was missing or turned up dead. Their lives were nearing their natural end anyways and most people would just see this as a mugging gone wrong. Old people are fragile.

So on his way back he rinsed the clothes in a stream to rid them of their smell and tossed out anything in the man’s wallet he’d taken that wouldn’t do him any good. By then, the sun was setting and the sounds of night were starting up. He draped the clothing on a few low branches, still damp from their earlier wash.

He yawned, losing the battle to stay awake. He hadn’t gotten any food but screw Kakuzu, he was tired. He unrolled his sleeping bag at the hideout entrance and scooted in. It had been a long time since he’d welcomed sleep and in a matter of minutes, he was dead to the world.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of a refresher of the events leading up to the current story

Kakuzu lay staring at the ceiling with his arms crossed behind his head. He wasn’t sure what time it was or, for that matter, how long he’d been passed out, but he was feeling better. He was sure he now had his mind in order. Starting from what he could remember of his life as a shinobi of the Hidden Waterfall Village, the fight with Hashirama that led to his inevitable desertion, the forbidden jutsu that prolonged his life (courtesy of the village elders whose hearts he had ripped out), his life as a lone bounty hunter, Akatsuki, his short partnership with Hidan, to his day of death thanks to that smart ass brat with the shadows.

No, actually it had been the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki that had finished him off. If his fight with Kakashi of the Sharingan and that shadow kid had not been interrupted, he was pretty damn sure he would have won. Of course, the entire reason they were heading to the Leaf Village was to capture the Nine-Tails. Seeing how the kid had single handedly wiped out two of his remaining hearts, he doubted he would have been successful in his mission and would have ended up dead anyways. Although, thinking about it, his battle strategy at the time had heavily depended on Hidan. Had they not been separated, perhaps things would have turned out differently.

His final memories were of his resurrection under the Reanimation Jutsu. He was being controlled in a war he shouldn’t naturally have been a part of. He hadn’t liked that-being told what to do. He had no problem with the killing. He’d done it all his life it made sense to do it beyond the grave too. But knowing someone else was pulling the strings? That irked him. He also recalled not seeing Hidan in that war. In fact, when he saw that the shadow kid and his pathetic teammates were alive he had even asked about his partner. How had the girl put it? They didn’t care where he rotted? It was something along those lines. But it had meant that Hidan was alive, and from the sounds of it, buried away in some hole.

Kakuzu’s face grew grim as he recalled his death. That kid was smart. He’d even go as far as to call him genius. It wasn’t hard to outwit Hidan, but the kid had outsmarted him. On several occasions during their fight he somehow managed to avoid getting hurt, successfully counter attack, use Kakuzu’s own lightning heart to save his teammates, and was able to trick Hidan into killing off one of his other hearts. And Kakashi was his perfect partner. The aide of his Sharingan saved Kakashi’s life more times than he probably realized and it was because of Kakashi that the kid was able to pull off as much as he did. His other two teammates were utterly useless in that fight and constantly needed saving. If they proved to be anything, it was as minor distractions in his fight. Even during his time reanimated, he didn’t see much usefulness in those two. If they survived, how unfortunate for their ingenious friend.

And how unlucky Kakuzu had been to not exact his revenge. It would have been nice to settle the score, even though he had the unfair advantage of not being able to die, but he never did get the chance. Kakuzu wasn’t sure what happened in that war after he had been sealed away and the jutsu released. Whoever was pulling his strings they had summoned some incredibly strong shinobi. Some Kakuzu would never have wanted to cross paths with when he was alive so he doubted there was much cause for celebration. So many were dead before Kakuzu had joined the fray and hundreds more fell during his resurrection. He found it hard to believe the living had won.

Yes, the allied forces had to have won. Though he hadn’t seen what the world looked like now, there was no way this was Madara’s world. A legend of a man both feared and respected the only man to give Hashirama Senju a hard time in battle. A world ruled by that man would feel different. Kakuzu hadn’t had the displeasure of meeting Madara, he just knew that Madara was responsible for starting what was possibly known as the Forth Great Ninja War. A man older than Kakuzu himself who was said to have been dead and yet had worked beyond the grave. Then again, here Kakuzu was, alive and breathing.

He was allegedly dead too.

Had been dead.

Otherwise he couldn’t have been reanimated if he hadn’t been. So what was he now? Was he reincarnated? Was that even a possibility? He thought reincarnation just meant being born again but he wasn’t an infant. This was the body of an adult. Well, the body of an adult that had been in a coma for a few years but an adult nonetheless.

As he stared up at the ceiling, Kakuzu’s patience was starting to run dry. If Hidan didn’t start explaining things, he was going to make him. Or so Kakuzu wanted to say but threats weren’t very effective when he looked like he could be snapped in half.

His stomach growled. He'd been awake for some time now doing some heavy thinking and not once had anyone entered his room. The scent of smoke still filled the air so that meant Hidan was still burning things. Occasionally he could make out someone walking by or dragging something heavy. A few times he heard the sound of glass breaking followed by loud cussing. Kakuzu was almost a hundred percent sure all the noise came from one source: Hidan. 

Not one other person had made themselves known to him in his time here. He faintly remembered a woman when he'd first awoken in this new body but he hadn't seen or heard any sign of her since then. That meant one of two things: she either left having done whatever Hidan had wanted or Hidan had killed her. He was guessing more the latter than former. It was too convenient that she hadn't shown herself at all and Hidan was burning everything in this facility. 

Such unusual behavior for Hidan. Kakuzu couldn't remember a time when Hidan cared enough to clean up after himself. He'd walk around drenched in blood completely nude if Kakuzu let him. He lived to kill. ‘Sacrifice’ was the word he used most often. His rituals were chaotic and always required blood or they wouldn't perform right other wise. He would stand in a rather simple diagram made, most of the time, from his own gore, ingest the blood of his target resulting in his skin to take on an almost skeleton-like tattooing, and then use his own body as a living voodoo doll. Depending on his mood and how many enemies, the ceremonies could take what felt like hours. That was what Kakuzu found the most annoying. He could tune out the constant blathering about whatever nonsense Hidan believed in but when it came to his long-winded rituals, Kakuzu wanted to rip him apart. On the rare chance they weren't on a schedule, sure, he didn't mind the silence. In fact, Kakuzu relished those moments. A quiet Hidan was the best Hidan. But those moments were more rare than Kakuzu would have liked them to be. With Akatsuki, there was a schedule. No one member had nothing to do for more than a day and in most cases, several missions were laid out to keep them busy.

So when Hidan would lay down with a stake through his chest in his own pool of blood, whispering devotions to his false god and they had somewhere else to be, his temper would soar. Patience was something Hidan had little of except when it came to his prayers and he most certainly liked to test Kakuzu's. On most occasions, Kakuzu had to resort to threats, not that Hidan seemed to pay much mind to. He did, however, answer to violence. He may not be able to die, but he certainly felt pain. He was a masochist, although, to be fair, he only tended to enjoy pain when he was performing his curses. But when Kakuzu made it apparent that he would disembowel Hidan if he didn't get his ass in gear, Hidan would pick up the pace and his ceremonies become shorter.

His stomach growled again, this time a little louder. Deciding it was time to get up he rolled over and set his bare feet onto the ground. Kakuzu rubbed his face as he heaved a long sigh. There was a pile of clothes dumped onto the table but it looked like the same protein blocks he had left untouched still remained his only source of food. So not only had he not been given better food, Hidan didn't even have the decency to fold the clothing. 

Kakuzu walked over and put on the shirt. It was a little short and smelled musty but at least it was stain free. He wasn't too thrilled about his waist still being exposed but at least he had something. As for the pants, considering the shirt was too short, the pants would probably be as well, so he kept the ones he already had on.

He was steadier on his feet today as he walked down the halls in confidence. Papers and broken bits of glass now littered the floors with signs of large objects being dragged through the debris. Kakuzu had to watch his footing. His skin was too soft and new to risk getting a cut. He didn't want to gamble an infection either and wasn’t sure what the limitations of this body were. Was he prone to every disease and virus that crawled along the face of the planet? Another question that needed answering.

By the time he approached the exit there was a cloud of smoke lingering in the air. Profuse swearing and grunting accompanied the roar of a fire as Hidan tossed box after box into the flames. His bare upper half shined with sweat that created pathways across the soot-covered parts of his skin. Hidan must be serious if he was working this hard.

Hidan leaned over with his hands on his knees and breathed heavily. "Almost done, almost done," he repeated to himself as he stretched upward. Kakuzu heard some small pops and cracks as Hidan flexed. He decided waiting at the entrance casually like he'd been there all along would be enough of a message for him. He needed answers and he wasn't going to be bargained with or waved away again. 

Hidan didn’t take notice of him at first. Or perhaps he knew Kakuzu was there he just chose to ignore him as he continued throwing what remained onto the fire. But he was running out of ammunition if he was playing a stalling game.

Kakuzu thought back on his former partner. Hidan liked to chatter but only about things he wanted to talk about. If it didn't interest him, the conversation was getting boring, or he wanted to avoid the topic, he was quite skilled at steering a discussion to what he wanted to gossip about. Of course, that tended to not work as well against Kakuzu. It was easy for him to fool Deidara into completely disregarding what they should have been focused on, but Kakuzu wasn’t as effortlessly swayed. In most cases, whenever Hidan tried to go off on a tangent, Kakuzu just stated what the plan was and that was that. He never gave in to Hidan’s childish behavior.

Kakuzu frowned. That wasn’t entirely true. When Hidan poked and prodded, running his mouth off, there were many times Kakuzu reacted, just as Hidan had wanted. He could only ignore someone for so long before wanting to kill them. Unfortunately, as much as Kakuzu had witnessed, Hidan was incapable of death. It had made him intolerable. His partner was quite cocky with his taunts and continued that arrogance until he was in desperate need of help.

Kakuzu hid a smirk. A memory he hoped to never forget was during the time they’d first met Shikamaru Nara. In a fight with Asuma Sarutobi, (who had an impressive bounty by the way) Hidan’s overconfidence met its end when the brat figured out how his curse worked and they managed to cut off his head. Still alive of course, Hidan had to beg Kakuzu for help. It had been amusing. Beheaded he could still talk, but what a sorry state he had been in. He even had the gall to bark orders at Kakuzu even though he was completely at his mercy.

Kakuzu snapped his attention back on Hidan. Their waiting game was finally coming to an end as the flames began to die down with the last of the papers turning to ash. Hidan couldn’t avoid him now. If there were more to burn then he’d have to head back inside thus passing Kakuzu on the way. If not, well, what else did Hidan have to do? Kakuzu was determined to wait all night if he had to.

Hidan turned with a glare of annoyance. Kakuzu’s suspicions were confirmed. Hidan _had_ been purposely avoiding him. It had been relatively around an hour that Kakuzu was standing there, arms crossed, letting his mind wander to his past. He wasn’t one for waiting. He never had the patience for sitting around doing nothing unless it was necessary. But Hidan had less endurance than he so when the fanatic dragged out their game, Kakuzu was, in all seriousness, amazed.

“You just gonna stand there all day looking smug, aren’t ya, _Kakuzu?_ ” Why the emphasis on his name? He wasn’t certain, and he assuredly didn’t feel ‘smug’ but at the very least, Kakuzu had been acknowledged.

“I can wait all day if I need too.”

Hidan eyes narrowed. A cheeky grin spread across his face. “But can you really?” That sneer wasn’t forced and he was grinning at Kakuzu challengingly.

He doubted Hidan could hear his empty stomach’s demands but that didn’t mean he couldn’t make assumptions. He was hungry but he still had enough energy to make a stand on his rights. Hidan wanted to toy with him and make a display of who’s in charge but Kakuzu wasn’t in the mood.

Kakuzu positioned his head against the entrance wall and glowered at Hidan. “First of all,” he watched Hidan’s smile drop, “you didn’t get the food I asked for. You really think I’d eat that garbage?” He had eaten one of the nutrition blocks. As foul as they tasted he needed something to fill the void in his stomach. “I don’t care if you have to steal from a child it shouldn’t be so difficult for you to do something so simple.” Kakuzu was resorting to verbal attacks. Tell someone they aren’t capable and if they’re bullheaded enough they’ll try to prove one wrong.

Hidan was scowling now. Anger was beginning to flare up in his eyes. _Still the same as ever, I see,_ Kakuzu thought to himself. He stood up from leaning against the wall and half turned away from Hidan. _Now to give him an out._ “Come back with something to eat and then we’ll talk.” Kakuzu didn’t even spare a glimpse at Hidan as he returned to the darkness.

Hidan wanted to avoid talking, fine, but he wasn’t going to be able to do so in Kakuzu’s presence so Kakuzu gave him an errand. An ‘out’ so to speak, though it was only temporary.

~~~

Hidan found Kakuzu in what was once a den, possibly a personal library. A handful of books were all that adorned the now empty shelves. Kakuzu had lit the fireplace and was flipping through a book when Hidan dropped a bag onto the table.

Kakuzu glared up at him and then eyed the plastic containers inside the bag. He closed the book he had been reading and gently placed it onto the table. With little hesitation, Kakuzu grabbed one of the containers and opened it. Hidan could see a look of displeasure in Kakuzu’s narrowed eyes.

Hidan was aware the soup was cheap and cold. He had traveled a sizable distance to a town that wouldn't pay mind to a stranger passing by. It would also make tailing him, had he been recognized, a little more difficult for pursuers. It wasn’t like he was in a hurry to feed his grumpy partner and he certainly wasn’t going to be stupid enough to draw attention to himself. If Kakuzu was unhappy that was his own damn problem.

"This is all you're gonna get," Hidan said with a scowl. "It cost all the ryo I had so don't expect any more." By 'all the ryo' he was mentioning the couple hundred he found in the old man's wallet. It really wasn't enough for a decent meal. The cheapest thing he could find was some run down ramen stand. The food at least looked edible and the chef had the courtesy to separate the noodles and vegetables from the broth so they wouldn’t get soggy.

He turned to walk away. "If you're hungry go find your own food."

"Hidan," Kakuzu called out.

Hidan paused, waiting to see if Kakuzu was going to say more, but the man behind him remained quiet. Hidan already knew what Kakuzu wanted to say-it wasn't hard to guess. He'd been griping about getting answers for his current predicament since the moment he was brought back to the land of the living so Hidan answered before the question was asked. "If you want to talk then come outside." He didn't give Kakuzu any more than that before heading back out. 

He had to get out. His chest was growing tighter as the room appeared to get smaller. It had taken a lot of his energy just to keep his voice steady. He hated to admit it but small spaces really got to him. If he stayed any longer he'd have a full-blown panic attack and he had too much pride to let Kakuzu see him in such a state. 

If Kakuzu really wanted to know, which Hidan was already prepared to answer all along had the jutsu been a success, they were going to talk on Hidan's terms. So Hidan unrolled his sleeping bag he had stashed in the corner of the entrance, entwined his fingers behind his head and lay down. 

He spent the better part of his nights lying awake staring at whatever was above him. The moon was already climbing with its ominous glow peeking out behind the trees. Tonight, it seemed, a light cloud cover would hide the majority of the stars.

Sleep haunted Hidan. There wasn't a night that went by that didn't end up with him choking for air. He hated closing his eyes. Last night had been a blessing in disguise. It was the first night in as long time that he had gotten more than just a few hours of real rest before nightmares shook him awake. He always felt like he was drowning in those nightmares. Even though it was all a dream he woke up gasping and coughing for air, his body almost always covered in sweat, and his heart threatening to leap out of his chest. 

Unfortunately, sleep was a necessity no one could avoid. When he was stuck in that pit, barely able to move, it was hard to avoid sleeping. Once he was able to live freely again he would go days without rest, only eventually, his body would give. There were a few times Hidan had passed out walking, waking up on the ground unaware of how he'd gotten there. Most days just became a blur. Time passed in a blink of an eye. He'd end up in a whole other country without any knowledge of how he ended up walking so far. 

After months of total emptiness passed, Hidan decided it was best to get what little rest he could manage verses the risk of passing out at the hands of an enemy. Now he slept a couple of hours every night always waking up to the same vision that haunted him wherever he went.

Hidan closed his eyes for a brief moment and extended his hearing. He heard bare feet slap the stone floors of the hideout. Kakuzu was approaching a little sooner than Hidan had predicted. He must have really been starving and inhaled the ramen instead of taking his time like Hidan remembered him doing in the past. 

The footsteps paused at the entrance before resuming. Hidan watched with one eye closed. He had been wrong. Kakuzu carried a bowl, steam rising up into the night air.  _So he just heated up the food..._

Kakuzu sat down opposite Hidan and crossed his legs under him. Not only had he found a bowl, but a pair of chopsticks as well. Hidan vaguely recalled kitchen items stuffed around the base but he never paid much notice. Kakuzu apparently had done the opposite.  _For someone who's been dead for so long he certainly hasn't forgotten his manners._  

Hidan was now sitting upright, a frown on his face. The scent of the ramen that wafted through the air made his mouth water. Hidan envied Kakuzu. He had gone hungry for so long now that he hardly noticed the empty organs inside him anymore. Now he only ate what was necessary to survive and it was never pleasant. It all tasted like mud to him after spending years with soil in his mouth. He longed for his sense of taste to return but that was a small sacrifice he was willing to live with.

Kakuzu began to eat. He was slow, blowing softly on the noodles before placing them in his mouth. "You can start talking," he said between mouthfuls. 

Hidan pursed his lips. Leaning back on his hands, he glared at Kakuzu. Hidan knew that they were going to have this talk sooner or later he just wasn't sure where to start.  _I guess from where I last saw him alive is as good of a place as any._

So Hidan spun him a tale, starting from where he'd been blown to pieces and cast into a pit. How the Shadows kid had already set a trap and he was pushed right into it. Kakuzu remained quiet. The other man didn’t seem to feel like mentioning how foolish Hidan had been like he had expected him too. And he _had_ been careless. He could have easily killed the kid had he not been so eager to sacrifice him instead. He had been tricked and Kakuzu had lost a heart. But if Kakuzu wasn’t going to bring it up then Hidan kept those thoughts as just that: thoughts. 

He continued on how he'd spent his time in darkness, finding his way to his body, and quickly described how he survived living off of the insects digging through the soil. That, once he found his chest, waiting for his neck to merge with his hacked body took time. Then getting an arm together in one piece was all he needed to get the rest of himself together. And when he finally emerged from underground, dug up the last important bits he could find (because what was left would grow back with time) and left his early grave, nearly twenty years had passed by.

Kakuzu held up a hand and told him to pause. Hidan looked at him quizzically. Kakuzu looked shocked as he stared into his bowl. He sympathized. He'd felt similarly upset when he'd found out himself. Twenty years was a long time. A lot could change and much of the shinobi world has. With the five great nations maintaining some sorts of peace amongst themselves, Hidan had noticed that people were more carefree. No one was as cautious around strangers and he'd spotted, on several occasions, mixed shinobi together-Shinobi who would have been enemies before Hidan and Kakuzu's early deaths.

After a moment, Kakuzu sighed. "Okay. So it's been about twenty years..." His voice trailed off as he looked over Hidan. 

"Yeah, so," Hidan continued. If Kakuzu was having an existential crisis he was on his own. Hidan told himself he was only going to tell this tale once so if Kakuzu cared enough, he'd better listen.

After crawling out of the pit and retrieving the last of his body parts, Hidan traveled away from the Land of Fire and scouted the main Akatsuki hideout in the Village Hidden in Rain. Unsurprisingly, he found it all abandoned. 

Akatsuki was no more. 

Casting his tattered cloak out he found new clothing to blend in. To everyone he came across, he was just a traveler, although to most he probably appeared more of a beggar. His scythe gone he had no weapons, no village association, no money and no allies. He was alone.

Completely alone. 

Hidan left out his god as he spoke. It wasn't that he no longer believed, (it was quite the opposite), it was that he was angry-angry that Lord Jashin had ignored him for two decades and continues to do so. But Kakuzu didn't need to know any of that. 

So he skipped the boring details on how he had survived on the surface and jumped to his first encounter with the hermit of a woman who'd brought Kakuzu back to life.

Hidan had found her in the woods near here trying to calm down a man who appeared to have completely lost his mind. He was screaming and thrashing around, cursing at her for bringing him back when he just wanted to die. "I was curious about what he meant by 'bringing him back from the dead' so I intervened." He killed the man. It wasn't difficult because, like Kakuzu, he had little strength. In a way he had 'saved' the woman since the man had been attempting to choke her, not that she couldn't handle herself. 

She had made a point by stating that fact as well. Along with being angry that he'd gone and killed her 'friend.' However her biggest concern was how much Hidan had overheard. 

Hidan skipped over their chat and bargaining and went straight into what she was: an ex-disciple of Orochimaru. Hidan hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting Orochimaru since the man had left Akatsuki before he had joined, but he had heard all the stories. The snake himself was just that: a snake. Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, was a man who, like Kakuzu, obtained his own form of immortality. But unlike Kakuzu, Orochimaru extended his life by experimentation and stealing other’s bodies for his own. From what he knew, Orochimaru was originally Sasori’s partner before Deidara, but after failing to take Itachi Uchiha’s body he defected from Akatsuki. Sasori wanted Orochimaru dead and their ‘dear leader’ agreed and they had all been instructed to kill Orochimaru should they come across him. Only that was harder than it seemed.

The serpent had multiple hideouts throughout the continent and had a plethora of subjects who did his bidding. If there was one fact about Orochimaru, it was that he wasn’t too keen on people knowing his secrets. Hidan used that to his advantage. The woman was terrified of Orochimaru and had good reason to be. She hadn’t even made an attempt to pretend like she wasn’t. Hidan threatened to rat her out and it wasn’t hard for her to figure out he was capable of it.

It wasn’t like he honestly cared, although he was pissed. Hidan hardly flinched when she sunk a blade into what would normally be a vital spot. As painful as it was and as much as he wanted to decapitate her right then and there, he was interested in her work. Particularly, he wanted to know more on a specific jutsu.

Orochimaru was a bigger threat than dying by his hand. He must be a truly terrible master if his own disciples feared the man even after she figured out who Hidan was. There aren’t too many people capable of surviving death and from what she had divulged, Orochimaru had been very interested in Hidan in the past.

But that was beside the point. They cut a deal to bring back one person from the dead, anyone he wanted, and she was allowed to live and Orochimaru was to never know her location. She had a jutsu: a combination of Orochimaru’s own Living Corpse Reincarnation and the Summoning Reincarnation. The technique was a type of summoning that was able to call the spirit of a deceased person and implant the soul into a body of the same DNA. It was a long process. The hardest part was the first step: she had to grow a body from whatever DNA could be salvaged.

Since Kakuzu had been dead for two decades, his first thought was that it was impossible. There was no way the Konoha shinobi gave him a burial-not after what the pair had done. And if they had, Hidan didn’t even know where to find the body. 

He was already giving up when the woman told him there was a way, but it involved infiltrating one of Orochimaru's hideouts. Since the reanimation jutsu required the DNA of a fallen shinobi to be resurrected, Orochimaru already had the necessary items. The difficult part was breaking in. She already knew which location to go to they just had to time it right. Orochimaru couldn't be in every area at once and he often rotated himself from base to base throughout the year but that didn't mean he left the place unguarded. 

They had been in luck. That time of year, Orochimaru and the majority of his underlings were in a base so far away that even if they had known he was intruding, there wasn't much they could do. She warned him of any traps and how to disable most and navigated him through the hideout using a radio. They had to make things quick and clean to avoid raising suspicion that someone had looted the place.

Being quick was in Hidan's favor. He didn't want to stay underground any longer than he had to. Hidan was in and out rather swiftly even though he had to grab a few samples. He was only interested in the one, but if he was going to get what he wanted, he had to retrieve what she wanted as well. It was fortunate how organized Orochimaru was. Labels were legible, alphabetical, and the samples were well preserved. Hidan made quick work but was careful not to leave evidence of theft and was reengaging the traps he had disarmed earlier in record time. He would rather just let the place explode and burn to the ground but the woman had been exceptionally specific that Orochimaru never find out they were there. Orochimaru was, after all, a member of Akatsuki in the past. Not only was he a criminal, but also skilled enough to not only join the organization, but also escape death during his desertion. If her fear was true and rational, then Hidan took her warnings to heart. 

After that ordeal, they returned to the location Hidan and Kakuzu now resided and she set to work on creating a body from Kakuzu's cells. According to her ranting, she was better at making a clone than Orochimaru himself. Her creations were perfect-exact copies of their originals excluding anything gained from years of experience. On top of that, the bodies were devoid of any souls. The organs and all were functional and the body needed constant attention to remain alive but there was no risk of killing someone when that someone really wasn't there. 

She had a little too much pride in her work, but sitting there now, talking to Kakuzu like he was never gone, Hidan had to admit she defied the laws of life. The Kakuzu in front of him (although skinnier than he'd hoped) was what Hidan had always imagined he'd look like had he not mutilated himself.

Hidan sighed and lay down. Kakuzu had finished eating sometime around when he was discussing his infiltration and had remained sitting, quietly listening with his eyes closed. 

He watched the sky. Night had taken over and like he had assumed earlier, the clouds hid the majority of the stars. A soft breeze rustled the forest and crickets hummed under every nook and cranny. Hidan blew a raspberry to break the silence.

"Once she got to work, she grew your new body in this big tank with a bunch of wires and tubes and shit. It took damn near a year and a half. And then all that was left was to put your soul into it. And that was it. End of story."

Kakuzu remained silent for a few minutes. Hidan, unsettled by his quietness, sat back up and looked at him. Kakuzu was still sitting like before, his now empty bowl between his hands in his lap, only now he was gazing off to the side. Kakuzu's jaw was firmly set, almost like he was clenching his teeth. His eyes flicked up and met Hidan's. 

Without breaking away, he straightened. 

"It had taken a year and a half for this body to age to this point?" Kakuzu's tone grew grim. "So is this body going to die off in another year?" He glared menacingly at Hidan, but Hidan’s expression had hardly changed. "You brought me back just to end up dead again?" He was almost yelling now.

Hidan leaned back on his palms and watched Kakuzu. He hid a smirk at his old partner’s mental torment. He _had_ considered killing Kakuzu-it was one of his motives in bringing him back. At the moment, however, he didn't have the energy to carry out a proper ritual.

"Quit bitching, you're not gonna die," Hidan scoffed. Kakuzu remained silent. The only indications that he was listening were his green eyes narrowing. Hidan tipped his head to the side to rest on his shoulder. "I asked all about that shit. She said something like the body develops to the age of the cells. So if the DNA used were of an old man, you'd turn into an old man. If it were a kid, you'd be a kid. In your case, I guess the cells were when you were like, what, thirty?" Hidan leaned to one side to wave his opposite hand in a side-to-side 'don't worry about it' fashion. "So you're gonna age normally. Quit freaking out."

Kakuzu's brow furrowed. "I was over ninety when I died!" He bared his teeth at Hidan. 

Hidan grimaced. He had forgotten just how old Kakuzu had been when he first met him. "Yeah, but your body wasn't exactly aged like a ninety year old man because of that jutsu you used. Am I wrong?"

Kakuzu wore his signature 'I'll kill you' glare. Hidan tried to hold back a sneer. Kakuzu’s face might be saying he was dangerous but his puny body certainly didn’t.

Hidan failed. A chortle escaped his throat so he bit his bottom lip to hide a grin. Kakuzu’s temper could only be rising-he could practically see the fumes coming off of his head. He knew he shouldn’t be laughing, but what could Kakuzu do to him? He really did look ridiculous. With such thin limbs and a slender neck, Kakuzu’s head almost looked too big for his own body. And to try and look threatening–it wasn’t working out.

“Hidan, this is serious,” he growled.

Hidan's smile dropped. He returned Kakuzu's stare with a little anger burning behind his eyes. "I am being serious," Hidan retorted. "That woman said something about how she didn't perform her jutsu until the body reached its peak growth. Something like it didn't work unless the body was the same age as the person who died. Which," Hidan looked Kakuzu over, "I mean, you stopped aging at this point, right?"

The anger that flared in Kakuzu's eyes started to die down and Hidan could see Kakuzu begin to relax. The darker skinned man seemed to be accepting Hidan's words as the truth. Finally, Kakuzu closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. The tension that had been building up suddenly escaped the man's body. Unexpectedly, Kakuzu turned his attention to the night sky.

Hidan was curious on what Kakuzu was pondering. The man before him never used to get lost in thought but then again, circumstances were different. Hidan loosened too as he watched Kakuzu. He actually started to feel pity for the man. He had thrown Kakuzu back into the world of the living without permission just because he could. 

Because he wanted to.

He hoped Kakuzu never asked Hidan why he brought him back. To be honest, he didn't have an answer. His feelings towards him were conflicting. He had thought that once he faced an undead Kakuzu a sign would present itself but he was still just as confused. There wasn't anyone in his life that he wanted by his side-that included Kakuzu. Jashin-sama was the only presence he existed for and yet he had felt like something was missing. When the woman was bargaining for her life and told him she could bring anyone he wanted back from the dead, no one in mind immediately surfaced. There wasn't anyone he wanted to see alive. 

When he left Yugakure, the place he had grown up, he had murdered the people around him. The shinobi there were a joke. The country was more interested in turning into a tourist resort than having military power. It was a waste of his talents. 

And then he found Jashin. It was perfect. It was something he could hold on to. The religion promoted death to those beneath Jashin and Hidan had been chosen to carry out Jashin's will. He was immortal, a god amongst mankind but never more than Jashin-sama himself. His purpose in life now was to slaughter the world. He was a harbinger of death. Everyone was beneath him.

During his reminisce and internal debate on killing the woman, someone did finally blur into existence: Kakuzu. When he first met the rouge Waterfall ninja, he just saw another arrogant heathen. Konan and Itachi had accompanied him but he was the only one to fight. He had stated he was fascinated by the rumors about Hidan but was adamant to believe them. He proclaimed that there was no such thing as true immortality. 

Their fight was short. They had been dispatched to eliminate Hidan, his recent activities having alerting the local governments, and Hidan had openly challenged them. The others that had come after him were such pathetic excuses for shinobi he didn't see the new arrivals being any different. Kakuzu was swift and to Hidan's astonishment, had sent a fist through his chest without moving from his spot. Hidan had been stunned. He hadn't come across anyone who could detach his or her limbs like Kakuzu had. He was interested to say the least but Kakuzu had made a mistake: he assumed that the fight was over.

The group in black cloaks was flabbergasted as Hidan stood up with a hole in his chest like it was nothing. Certainly they had begun to think the rumors were true. He took advantage of their stunned silence to draw the symbol of Jashin in his own blood while the other two seemed more interested in observing than their comrade’s own safety.

Kakuzu was quick and sent another fist through Hidan's chest cavity only this time, Hidan made sure to get Kakuzu's blood as he retracted his arm. He licked the iron liquid from his fingertips and felt the power of Jashin flow through him. His skin turned black and white. The curse was in place. In a swift movement he pierced his own heart.

It was the first time someone didn’t die from his curse. At first Kakuzu had collapsed onto his knees and cursed at Hidan. When he thought the bastard was going to keel over, a _thing_ had escaped his back and before he knew it, Kakuzu was back on his feet. He didn’t get much of a chance for a second round. The other two intervened and convinced him to join their organization. He didn’t give two shits as long as he could spread the Way of Jashin.

That was how he had joined Akatsuki and was partnered with Kakuzu. He later found out during their travels how Kakuzu had survived his curse and that the thing that had left him was a spare heart.

At the time when they had first been paired, Hidan found Kakuzu’s own form of immortality remarkable. However, Kakuzu didn’t repay that curiosity. Up until the day of twenty years ago, Kakuzu constantly threatened to end Hidan’s life. It wasn’t like he hadn’t tried. Hidan quickly learned why the older man lost his past associates and why the leader, Pain, so eagerly combined him with Kakuzu. Kakuzu’s fits of rage were terrifying and in the heat of battle he paid no mind to whomever got in his way. They didn’t even need to be in a fight to feel his wrath. There were moments when he’d annoyed Kakuzu to the extent that the man attacked him. Of course, it wasn’t like he could die.

It was still painful though. Most times he blocked or evaded Kakuzu’s murderous intent. It was when he was completely off guard that sucked the most. Hidan could have behaved himself all day but any simple or small matter that angered Kakuzu and Hidan was the target to suffer that fury.

Hidan’s thoughts came full circle. He _really_ hoped Kakuzu never asked. Bringing him back didn’t make a lick of sense after the abuse he had suffered. Yet, Kakuzu was the only person who came to mind when that woman propositioned him.

He was still the only person.

Movement caught his attention-Kakuzu was getting up. Hidan cautiously watched him. He was unsure what the other man was thinking and he wasn’t feeling up to getting into a fight. Green eyes met red and Kakuzu stared after him for a moment. Kakuzu opened his mouth to speak but changed his mind. He looked tired and-

_Eh?_ Dare he say, defeated?

Kakuzu walked past him without speaking a word but stopped just inside the cavern entrance. “Hidan,” he said without looking back. Hidan tilted his head to listen while he waited for whatever Kakuzu had to say. “Thank you.”

“Ah-!” Hidan stared bewildered after Kakuzu. He was so completely caught off-guard that he didn’t know how to respond. He couldn’t respond now that Kakuzu had left. ‘ _Thank you?’_ ‘ _Thank you?!’_ Kakuzu had never thanked him for anything before. What the hell was he even thanking him for? Bringing him back to life? Telling the truth? The food? All of it? Maybe even neither of those things? Hidan’s mind raced around. “The fuck was _that?_ ” That wasn’t like Kakuzu at all.


	6. Chapter 6

Several days had passed by since Kakuzu learned the truth of his revival. He still had many more questions to ask Hidan but the immortal was making himself scarce. He was gone during the majority of the day and hardly looked at Kakuzu when he wasn't. Kakuzu was aware that part of Hidan's daytime excursions had been gathering food even though he had so boldly claimed that Kakuzu was on his own just the other day. Some of what he dropped off was wild berries (more often than not, picked too early) but in most cases it was stale breads and half rotting fruit. Clearly, Hidan had been raiding the garbage of whatever town was nearby. It disgusted Kakuzu to even be eating anything that had been thrown away but he didn’t trust himself to survive on his own just yet. He was beginning to feel stronger as the days went by but a casual walk in the woods was enough to tire him out.

And Hidan was still a mystery. There were often times Kakuzu caught him staring blankly at nothing in particular, almost like he was in a trance. It was unnerving. The one time he had interrupted one of his stupors (and it had taken a few attempts) Hidan reacted violently. He had nearly jumped out of his skin and swung at Kakuzu like he had claws, a rabid snarl on his face. He had soon realized that it was Kakuzu and not some enemy that had disturbed him and quickly recovered, cursing that he had no right to touch him.

Kakuzu quickly learned to just leave Hidan to his own devices. Even when he heard the yells and cries in the middle of the night, he ignored him.

_Let Hidan sort out his own problems,_ he had told himself. It hadn’t been easy with how poorly the man was handling his fears.

It hadn't taken him long to deduce that Hidan was claustrophobic.  _Mmm. No, that wasn't quite right._  He was more taphophobic. In retrospect, both fears went hand in hand but considering he  _had_  actually been buried alive and trapped in a hole for twenty years, taphophobia made more sense. His former partner almost never came inside, choosing to face the elements rather than take shelter and when he did, he was quick to exit. It interested Kakuzu. He didn't think the fanatic ever feared anything. 

Kakuzu stopped pulling at a piece of bread and swallowed the bit he had in his mouth. He was wrong yet again. He  _had_ seen Hidan afraid before. It was typically when a fight had gone wrong. Dying wasn't an anxiety of his-it was losing a fight. Hidan, at least the Hidan from the past, hated needing help or letting a sacrifice slip away. Those damn ceremonies were more important to him than losing a limb. And yes, he supposed Hidan was afraid of being in pain as well. If it wasn’t self-inflicted he'd end up pretty pissed at whomever had hurt him.

Kakuzu leaned back. His last fight while he had been alive was a battle of firsts, dying being the biggest of them all. It was Hidan's yelling that he was remembering now. When that Shikamaru kid used his shadows to control Hidan and sent him charging at Kakuzu, Hidan was nearly screaming for help. He seemed genuinely distressed that he was going to slice Kakuzu. Though the bastard sure had some nerves not to care when Kakashi of the Sharingan killed off the first heart.

He ran a hand through his short hair. He wasn't sure how much longer he was going to stick around or, for that matter, what to do with his second shot at life. He could be whatever he wanted now. He was classified as deceased so technically he shouldn’t exist. He had no village association, no responsibilities and no warrants for his arrest. His life was a blank slate. 

Then there was Hidan. He did and didn't feel the need to repay him. It wasn't like he had asked Hidan to bring him back but he still felt like he owed the other man a debt. But what could he possibly give the zealot? The man had no interest in money or power, only his god. Kakuzu didn't have any mystical power to summon a nonexistent being and he certainly wouldn't be in this position if he had. 

For the time being, he was stuck. As much as it angered him, Kakuzu needed Hidan to survive-at least until he was capable of living off on his own. Kakuzu scowled in disgust. Hidan was a problem. Not at the moment, no-Hidan was doing well in terms of keeping discrete but that didn't mean he'd remain that way. Without any guidance it amazed him that Hidan had remained unchained without conflict. In the past, the fanatic was quick to promote his god and slaughter those who opposed him.

So why hadn't Hidan gone on a killing spree like he had before Akatsuki recruited him? Did his defeat truly break the spirit of the man before him? Physically, he looked starved and ill and he wasn't as well groomed as he normally kept himself. And something else had been bothering Kakuzu for a while now: his former partner didn't seem to be mentally all there. 

It made sense. Anyone would be driven insane had they been trapped in the dark for as long as Hidan had. He had already been borderline maniacal before the incident but now he may have completely lost it. Kakuzu had always imagined that when Hidan finally snapped he'd go on an endless rampage of mass slaughter until someone stronger stopped him. Or that he’d become a schizophrenic. He already yelled to the heavens for his god to watch him that it was only a matter of time before he started carrying out full on conversations with people who weren't there.

But Hidan was very tame from what Kakuzu had envisioned. Perhaps the zealot wasn't completely gone. He still seemed to have a grasp on what little humanity he had left in him but that still didn't mean Kakuzu could trust him. 

But he couldn't up and abandon Hidan either, not if that would further sour whatever scrap of a relationship the two had. There was too much risk. When the fool finally breaks, it would be the end for Kakuzu. Either Hidan kills him himself or he gets imprisoned and tells his captors out of spite that Kakuzu was alive. Then he'd be on the run again, always looking over his shoulder.

Kakuzu got up and wandered over to the empty shelves. Hidan had been thorough. The only items that remained were beginner jutsu manuals, basic anatomy and physiology books, and a few worthless knickknacks and scattered writing utensils. The rest of the hideout was just as cleaned out. Kakuzu had scoured the place thrice more out of boredom than curiosity and found little of anything interesting. He had more time than he knew what to do with and it was affecting him down to his last nerve.

Now that he didn't tire out as easily he began strength training to build himself back up. Just the basics for now: push-ups, abdominal crunches, light jogging. His plan for the time being was to get to a level where he could at least fend for himself. No more of this… relying on Hidan.

Cumulating chakra would prove to be a longer task. Muscles were easy, but the true might of a shinobi was measured in the level of jutsu. He remembered the hand seals for his usual arsenal he just lacked the chakra build to actually perform any of them. That, and he was back to just one nature. His collection of jutsu was pretty much useless if he couldn’t use them. And without the Earth Grudge Fear, he couldn’t collect the hearts of others and assimilate their chakra natures into his own.

He was a normal human again.

And that only circled back to his indecisiveness on what to do with his existence. He can’t hope for a ‘normal’ life if he returned to his forbidden jutsu form but ‘normal’ meant giving up power. And having no power meant Hidan was an even larger threat. People didn’t survive long around the scythe-toting maniac.

Kakuzu growled as he tossed the book he had been aimlessly flipping through. This excessive thinking was beginning to keep him up at night. He marched out of the remains of what he had assumed was a makeshift living room and braced the late spring breeze. He decided a run was the best he could do for now to calm his anxieties. Exercise had a tendency to ease his mind and right now, being cooped up was really beginning to screw with him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time is going to start moving forward a little quickly to avoid their monotonous daily routines.

Hidan kicked at the dirt outside the hideout with a sack of fruit he’d stolen off a merchant’s cart slung over his shoulder. He was starting to feel bored with his monotonous routine of fetching food for Kakuzu. Not to mention how tiring it was trying to occupy his mind.

Speaking of, his undead partner wasn’t around. _Probably out running again,_ Hidan assumed. The last few weeks, Kakuzu had become very active. The first time Hidan had returned to find Kakuzu missing, his initial thought was that Kakuzu had taken off. Hidan hadn’t known what to do about it. Tracking Kakuzu down seemed like too much effort and he knew the risk that they might end up going their separate ways. He just always thought Kakuzu was the type of man who’d tell him to piss off in person.

Then, as if summoned, the man had come stumbling out of the bushes, panting and sweating like he had outrun a pack of wolves, and disappeared inside without a word spoken between them. Hidan had to admire Kakuzu’s efforts. He no longer wondered if he was going to walk in one day and find a corpse.

Hidan plopped down against a tree to break away from the summer sun. It was starting to get hotter during the day, which was always more pleasant than the cold, but that meant more insects were around to annoy him. Animals didn’t normally get close but the little bloodsuckers were eating him alive at night. He was going to have to figure out some way to ward them off if he was going to get any sleep this summer.

He rolled an apple between his hands and took a bite. He was beginning to get his appetite back and surprisingly enough, his sense of taste.

 ~~~

Kakuzu walked through the forest along the trail he'd involuntarily made, shirt in hand. He had taken a quick rinse in the creek not far from where they were staying and was making use of the hot air to dry off. 

Kakuzu brushed a hand through his still damp hair, combing it back to stay out of his face. Pushing his hair around was beginning to become a habit. It wasn't long enough to tie up and without a headband, or any headgear for that matter, he couldn't stop his bangs from curling into his eyes. He contemplated just shearing it all off but it'd just come back in another month or two and he'd have to cut it again. As much as it annoyed him to have it constantly in his face, for now it was easier just to let it grow out.

A figure at the base of a tree caught Kakuzu's eye as he neared the hideout.  _Hidan's back? How unusual.._. His thoughts trailed off. Hidan was sitting in the shade with an arm balanced on top of his knee. As Kakuzu approached he noticed that not only was Hidan hanging around, but he was also eating. Several apple cores were scattered beside him and a half eaten one hung loosely between his fingers. Kakuzu hadn't seen him eat at all since he had woken up all those weeks ago but he had noticed a recent healthier glow to Hidan.

Hidan seemed unaware of his approach so Kakuzu made his walk a little more careless. The excess noise did the trick. Hidan cast his eyes over his shoulder before turning away again, clearly not in the mood to socialize. It was quite rare for his ex-Akatsuki partner to be silent for so long. 

Kakuzu halted about an arms length from Hidan and peered down at him. It wasn't long after the start of the impatient bobbing of his hand that he snapped his head around with a glare. "What?" Hidan asked sharply.

"Hm," Kakuzu forced himself to remain composed. "Just wondering if you lost the ability to speak." He really wanted to grin at that annoyed scowl. Hidan exhaled loudly, his nostrils flaring, and he turned his head angrily away.

"Don't be stupid. I can still talk even when my head's been cut off."

"I was being sarcastic." 

Hidan started, but instead of using words, his only reply was an angry grumble.

"Hidan." 

Hidan hummed a response. 

"What is your objective?" Kakuzu could have worded that better. He could have beaten around the bush and eased into it, but the two of them had been silent with each other for weeks. It would be a lie if he said he wasn't curious on what Hidan was planning. Perhaps the biggest question of them all: for what purpose had Hidan brought him back for?

Hidan's head fell against the tree and took a deep breath. "To cause mass slaughter in the name of Jashin." 

The same droned response as twenty years ago. What a disappointment. And Hidan didn't look like he was carrying out the sentence he doomed on the world. From what Kakuzu can tell, he didn't even have a weapon.

"And," Hidan continued, his voice growing grim, "I want revenge."

"Oh?" Not necessarily a surprise considering what had happened and it wasn't a stretch to say Kakuzu didn't want the same either. But there was a difference in the two's train of thought. Kakuzu had already decided against fighting the Leaf shinobi. It would be too careless of him in his current condition (that's what he told himself anyways). In truth, Kakuzu had already come to terms that if Shikamaru Nara was still alive, he'd only be stronger. Not to mention he knew all the tricks up Kakuzu's sleeves. 

It was suicide.

But if the occasion presented itself...

He shook his head and peered down at Hidan. His platinum-haired companion was chewing his lip with a look of hatred on his face. "And how do you plan on going about that?"

Hidan held still and looked on at the scenery in front of him. "I kill him of course. I've wanted to cut him up and rip open his insides for years," he snarled. "I've imagined it-I've  _dreamed_  it. A truly worthy sacrifice for Jashin-sama! He'll suffer for what he did to me!" Hidan's eyes burned with a fiery passion when he finally looked at Kakuzu. "And I'll kill  _anyone_  who stands in my way."

He wanted to return Hidan's threat with his own. It was in his nature to beget malice with more malice but he had to remind himself that Hidan was stronger than him. It was also the most emotion he'd seen Hidan display in the month and a half they'd been together and Kakuzu wasn't about to fall prey to the bloodlust because he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

Hidan rose up and dusted the dirt off his tattered clothes. He scanned Kakuzu. "You want revenge too, don't you?"

There was a challenge in his voice. 


	8. Chapter 8

Kakuzu agreed to Hidan's want for vengeance. It may be the only reason Hidan had brought him back and having any opposition may return to haunt him. 

Their mutual agreements didn't mean they were setting off for the Hidden Leaf any time soon. Neither of them was in good enough condition to face any ninja. Kakuzu, not only lacking the strength and endurance he once had but the chakra to pull off any jutsu, and Hidan, who was weaponless, but clearly needed to build up strength again as well, had both come to an understanding that the two needed time to train and prepare.

Kakuzu was surprised how easily Hidan went along with the otherwise hindering plans. Perhaps all that time spent trapped helped him think more clearly instead of impatiently charging forward like in the past.

Or maybe Kakuzu was more convincing than he originally thought. He had managed to delay Hidan's demands so he could get stronger and finally leave their dreary hideout for a few weeks. In that time, Kakuzu came to the conclusion that his best course of action was to return to his previous body if he ever hoped to become powerful again. However, doing so required the forbidden jutsu: the Earth Grudge Fear.

That was the first hurdle. It wasn't like he remembered how to perform it. It had been some sixty, maybe seventy years ago in his previous life and he only had to do it once and the effects were permanent. 

And that led them to where the two were now: on a small rowboat in the Land of Waves, heading towards an uninhabited island under the cover of night. That was where, if Kakuzu remembered correctly, the scroll containing the jutsu was stashed. 

It concerned him that the place may have been looted and this trip was all for naught. A smart man would have sold it off to the highest bidder in the black market, which Kakuzu had planned to in the past once he found the right buyer. Now he was glad he hadn't pawned the scroll, that is, if it was still where he had left it.

Kakuzu hopped out once they reached shallow waters and began to push. Hidan showed no interest in helping but at least he remained silent (unlike the rest of the time they’d spent getting to this point). Once they were close enough to dry land, Hidan jumped out and looked around. Kakuzu beached the boat so the tides wouldn't take it out to sea and observed his surroundings. There was significantly more overgrowth and any trails were long since erased-a good sign that no one had visited in some time. Kakuzu grabbed an oar and headed into the dense vegetation with Hidan following a few steps behind.

"Neh, Kakuzu, what exactly are we looking for?"

Kakuzu continued to swat at the plants as he made his way deeper into the island. "A hidden smuggler cache built under the island. But first we need to look for a large carved stone."

"Mmmm. I don't see any big rocks, but it's also too dark to see anything. Are you sure this is the right one? There's a lot of fucking islands around here."

Hidan had certainly become chatty during this trip. Kakuzu didn't mind even if all he was doing was complaining. Hidan running his mouth meant that he was returning to his version of normal and that put Kakuzu at ease. "This is the right place." He couldn't admit that he had a spark of doubt that they really were on the wrong island. Everything looked so unfamiliar but he had the right coordinates and numbers didn't lie.

"Couldn't we at least have done this during the day?" Hidan nagged. "I can't see a damn thing and I'm pretty sure I've walked into, like, fifty spider webs."

Kakuzu rolled his eyes. "I told you already, we can't risk being seen." He was starting to miss the awkward silence the two had shared not too long ago.

A shadowed area caught his eye as he reached a small clearing. Kakuzu changed directions and headed for the mound of entwined plants and began ripping off the thick vines until he felt cold stone underneath. "This is it." The damage the vines had done made the stone barely recognizable but sure enough the old lines that had been carved there a hundred years ago were still visible. He could feel Hidan watching his curiously from behind as he traced the imprints with his fingers.

"Okay, so, what? We gotta push it or find some hidden lever or something?"

"No, it's just a landmark. The entrance is nearby." Kakuzu moved away from the stone and picked up the oar. He began staking it into the sandy earth over and over again, hoping to make contact with metal. "The cache is underground and the only way in is a hatch hidden somewhere under the sand." He felt like he was over explaining things but Hidan had been giving him strange looks. 

As Kakuzu inched his way around the small clearing, he eyed Hidan. His partner had begun pushing aside the dirt with his feet, clearly not interested in helping but trying to look busy nonetheless. Kakuzu sighed.  _Whatever keeps him occupied._

After a few minutes of stabbing the ground with the boat oar, he finally struck something solid. Kakuzu tested the area around where he first hit, confirming that he had indeed found the hatchway, and began using the oar to shovel the majority of the dirt and grass out of the way. Hidan wandered over curiously but, yet again, made no effort to help.

With most of the hatch door now exposed, Kakuzu tossed the oar aside and pulled at the handle. Metal grated against metal as Kakuzu forced the lever to move. The door creaked and groaned as it opened, revealing a black void in the ground with the reek of stagnant water blowing into their faces. Kakuzu let the door fall from his hands before he reached down and grabbed the edges of the entrance. Feet first, he half jumped half lowered himself in. 

_Splash!_

Kakuzu listened to the echo as the ankle deep water's icy chill sent a shiver up his spine. He looked up at the entrance above him, Hidan's head peering over the edge, and found the mini flashlight in his back pocket. He turned it on and aimed it skywards.

Hidan yelped as Kakuzu blinded him. "What the hell?! Fuck!" Hidan rubbed his eyes. "You had a flashlight this whole fucking time?"

"Mm," Kakuzu confirmed. He held back a laugh at the anger that blanketed Hidan's face. 

"Then why the fuck were we wandering around in the dark?"

_He's still as dense as ever._  Kakuzu sighed. "I've already answered that, Hidan."

"Yeah, yeah, don't want to be seen and shit. Whatever."

"Are you coming?" Kakuzu knew it was a long shot but he needed a shield in case of traps.

There was a moment of silence. "Mmm... Well, someone should keep watch, yeah?"

_Coward._  "Fine. I shouldn't be long." Kakuzu made his way further into the cache, making note of everything he could see. There wasn't much left. Either the smugglers who used it in the past stopped coming or someone had found it and stolen everything. The only remnants were rotting wood and broken jars.

He continued down a small stretch of hallway. He hoped whomever had looted the place hadn't found the hidden room although the amount of water concerned him more. If there were a cave-in then the scroll, if it was still there, would be ruined.

Kakuzu reached an alcove in the second room and ran his hand over the left side. He passed over the multiple lumps on the wall, testing each one for its rigidity. At last, he found the fake and pulled on it. Kakuzu's face twitched in frustration as he put more force into pulling the stone downwards. When it finally gave and scraped down the wall a few inches, Kakuzu heard the pop of the gears being released and the wall beside him thudded, vibrating the room as it unlocked and began to move. Water flowed into the widening gap and not out-a good sign that it wasn't flooded.

Kakuzu waited patiently for the wall to open when an uncomfortable sound of squealing metal rang through his ears.

Then an odd clicking.

Followed up with a snap of a chain.

And finishing with a parade of metallic crashing. 

Kakuzu threw his head back in exasperation. The world was really starting to test his patience. He positioned the flashlight on top of a shelf, aiming it at the false wall, and crammed as much of his body as he could into the opening. Veins threatened to burst as he pushed with all of his strength to force open the stone door. It was slow going and he was going to regret it later but the farther it opened the more leverage he was able to get. Once the gap was wide enough for Kakuzu to squeeze through, he grabbed his flashlight and shimmied inside.

From the looks of it, whoever had cleaned out the first two rooms never found this one. The old shelves and furniture were mostly empty; time having eaten away at the wood and tarnished the few trinkets left behind by someone else. It hardly looked any different from what he remembered.

Kakuzu stumbled over objects hidden under the rising water, (most likely the gears and rods that were no longer attached to the mechanism on the wall) and made his way over to an old wooden cabinet. Flashlight between his lips, he pushed the cabinet aside to reveal the hole hidden behind. Kakuzu kneeled down and looked inside. Nothing stood out other than a small mound of dirt and dust. Kakuzu reached forward and brushed away the dirt. A grin shaped his lips as he saw the off-white coloring. He grabbed the scroll and unraveled it slightly. This was it.

Kakuzu placed the scroll inside his shirt. “Hn?” There was something else inside the nook. He pulled it out and blew off the dust. A metal box with– _Ha, of course_ –several stacks of cash. Now he remembered. At one point in his life, Kakuzu had made it a mission to stow away small amounts of cash for emergencies. Now was certainly an emergency. It wasn’t a fortune, maybe a few hundred thousand ryo, but with this he can finally have a proper meal.

Kakuzu looked around as he tucked the box under an arm. He hesitated on moving the cabinet back in place but... He glanced at his feet submerged in several inches of water. He sighed. This place wasn't worth the effort. 

~~~

Hidan glanced at the opening every few breaths. There had been a loud bang from down below that had shaken the area but when he called down into the darkness, he hadn't received any response.

He went back to the drawings he had made in the sand. Several symbols of Jashin were scrawled around him along with a bad representation of Kakuzu's face-the old Kakuzu-the one with stiches on the corners of his mouth.

Hidan sighed and looked back at the hole. He was starting to feel nervous just thinking about hopping down and searching for Kakuzu. He wanted to kick himself for being afraid. Kakuzu had probably figured it out by now that he didn’t fair well with closed spaces and was silently thankful that he hadn't persecuted him into going with him. But if Kakuzu didn't return soon...

Hidan swallowed and tried to steady his breathing. He was visibly shaking as he clutched at the tightness in his chest while he stared into the dark void. He took a few steps back. He couldn’t do it. He didn’t have the courage to jump in and even if he had, there was no way in hell he was going to go more than a few meters.

Hidan squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated on the sounds of the leaves rustling and the lap of the waves against the shore. He yearned for the white noise of nature-it reminded him that he was inhaling fresh air and that he was no longer surrounded by blackness. Even the moon’s light gave him comfort.

Sloshing water broke his meditation. Hidan shuffled back over to the hatch and peered inside. A moving light revealed ripples in the water below and warped the moon’s reflection. The sloshing grew louder until finally Kakuzu appeared under the opening.

“Augh-! Seriously?!” Hidan shrunk back, covering his eyes as Kakuzu blinded him once again. _Fucking asshole._

“Hidan, catch.”

Hidan ceased rubbing his eyes. “Wait, what?” Something flew up out of the hole and he quickly scrambled to catch it. “A little more warning would be appreciated,” he yelled out as he snatched the box and held it against his chest.

A pair of hands gripped the edges of the hatchway as Kakuzu pulled himself up. Hidan wasn’t sure why he just didn’t jump out, he had to have jumped just to reach the opening, but maybe Kakuzu wasn’t capable of it yet.

Curious about the object in his arms, he opened the metal box. “Ha? Money?” He gave Kakuzu a sharp look. “You said we were here for your stupid jutsu scroll.”

His eyes met a glare. “We are.” Kakuzu reached into his shirt and pulled out the old scroll. “The money is just an extra perk.” He put the scroll back and held out a hand. “Now give it here.”

Hidan hesitated, but handed the box back over. He pursed his lips. “There wasn’t anything more interesting down there?”

“No,” Kakuzu answered as he tucked the box under an arm. He kicked the hatch door closed and began walking back to shore. “It was cleaned out a long time ago. I’m just lucky no one found my stash.”

“You’re not gonna hide the entrance?” Hidan called after him, glancing at the metal door.

It apparently wasn’t worth the effort.

Hidan jogged until he caught up. “So now what?” He hadn’t noticed Kakuzu pick up the boat oar, and yet, there he was, using it to push the plants out of his path.

“We head back.” Before Hidan had the chance to protest, Kakuzu spoke up, “I need time to prepare.”

Hidan put his hands on the back of his neck and looked off into the distance. “Well,” he tried his best to look annoyed. “If you need any help, just ask.” He hoped he wouldn’t come to regret that. Kakuzu could be such a slave driver.

“First thing’s first, I want a proper hot meal.”


	9. Chapter 9

When Kakuzu said he needed time to prepare, Hidan was pretty damn sure that hadn't meant going on stupid treasure hunts. He sulked as he followed behind him. They were off looking for another one of the old man’s stashes that he had so conveniently remembered after their trip to fetch his scroll. What was more annoying was that half of these trips ended up with them empty handed. It was fifty-fifty if the money Kakuzu had squirreled away was still where he had left it.

_I can't really complain. It's not like I have anything better to do,_ Hidan thought. Not that he would admit it but having money had its perks. New clothes and shoes, (though, keep in mind, Kakuzu was being cheap and bought the lowest priced clothing) and actual food that they didn't have to hunt and prepare were nice luxuries he had forgotten about. So when Kakuzu insisted on going from place to place to collect money and small rare items he had hidden around the nearby countries, Hidan didn't fight him. It was nice to travel, even though Kakuzu refused to find hotels to stay at, and now that his appetite was back, it was divine to eat again and actually be able to taste food.

However, his change in lifestyle didn't mean he was much happier. Jashin may be ignoring him but Hidan longed to make sacrifices to his god again. Kakuzu had forked over some cash to get him a new retractable spear but not much else. And Hidan was positive Kakuzu had only bought him a weapon because Hidan was his unannounced bodyguard. He couldn't blame him, although he wished the miser showed more appreciation for him taking a hit instead of getting pissed off for ruining his clothing.

That was the downside to this hunt of theirs. Carrying suitcases and bags full of cash and rarities made them targets. Apparently, this new _peaceful_ era meant a lot of shinobi were out of work and that made a lot of them desperate for quick cash. There was also an increase in desertion, which he was sure made Kakuzu happy because that meant more bounties for him to collect in the future. 

Hidan hummed to himself and twirled the spike in his hand. Walking sure was boring and Kakuzu didn't appear to be in any rush.

"We're almost there," Kakuzu spoke, breaking the silence. 

Hidan stopped spinning his spear and had it retract. Kakuzu must have picked up on his boredom if he was announcing their progress without being asked. He stuffed the spear back into place on the inside of his jacket and jogged a little to stand beside Kakuzu. "Is this the last one?" he inquired. 

"For now," Kakuzu stated. 

Hidan scanned the area for anything like the last places the two had visited but for all he could tell they were in an endless sea of pine trees. He cast a sideways glance at Kakuzu but he couldn't interpret his expression. Now that they could afford clothes, one of the first things Kakuzu had bought was a mask for the bottom half of his face. That annoyed Hidan because what did Kakuzu have to hide? He hadn't done his creepy jutsu yet so it wasn't like he had a face full of stitches. So why the mask? He had asked Kakuzu back when he had first bought it and even went so far as to call it a waste of money. Kakuzu's response? He didn't want people to recognize him. 

What a load of shit. There was no way anyone was still alive predating his village desertion. That mask did the exact opposite of what he stated. If anything, it made him even more recognizable to their enemies. 

But whatever. It was more frustrating to Hidan trying to figure out Kakuzu now that half of his face was hidden. The man had a pretty good poker face before but now it was damn near impossible to get a read on him.

~~~

In what seemed like forever since they had set out, the pair stopped at the base of an old and rotting tree stump in the middle of the forest. This had to be it because there was no other reason for one single tree in the middle of nowhere to have been cut down. 

Hidan stepped back as Kakuzu began weaving signs. He didn't want to get caught in whatever jutsu he was about to perform. Kakuzu placed his palms onto the ground and spoke some earth style jutsu causing the ground at the base of the trunk to crack and crumble as the earth was pushed upwards. Half a minute later, the ground went still and Kakuzu reached into the mound of dirt and pulled out a case. He didn't bother with checking the contents. It seemed he was confident that (what Hidan assumed was more money) no one had discovered this stash and tampered with anything. 

"So now what? Head back to the base?" Hidan bounded along side Kakuzu as he questioned their priorities. "Can we stop somewhere nice for a change? I'm sick of sleeping on the dirt."

Kakuzu spared a glance as he continued forward. "We head back for now. This was the last one close enough to the facility."

Hidan frowned. Kakuzu had ignored the more important question of his as if what he had asked was redundant. Knowing if they were going to stop, and for the majority of their recent travels they almost always did, was less about Hidan’s own gripes and more about Kakuzu's health. Heading back was a good days run. At a walk it'd take two. Not to mention that the day was nearly over so unless Kakuzu planned on traveling without rest, which Hidan knew was nearly impossible for his newly reborn comrade, they were going to need to find a place to stay.

~~~

Hidan grumbled as they settled in for the night. Like he had foretold, Kakuzu stopped sometime after the moon had risen to make camp for the night. He had set up short barrier walls in their small clearing while Hidan had gathered old twigs and branches lying on the forest floor that now lay in a pile as Kakuzu started a fire.

Hidan sat back against one of the walls Kakuzu had made and tugged at his shirt collar. It was muggy and he could really use a dip in a cool river. The fire Kakuzu was building wasn't helping him cope with the hot air but he understood it wasn't there to keep them warm but to scare aware any animals and insects. They had spent too many nights lying awake getting bitten and stung by mosquitoes and decided sleeping in the uncomfortable heat was better. Leave it to the Land of Waves to make their stay even more miserable.

The two were silent-both more content at watching the flames dance than each other. They had snacked on the little provisions they had, Hidan eating significantly less than Kakuzu. He hadn't been all that hungry and factored it up to the lack of sleep these last few days. Apparently not sleeping ruined his appetite.

As he lay down huddled up with his back against the dirt wall, Hidan closed his eyes and pretended to sleep. Kakuzu always took first watch and Hidan never argued and for him, falling asleep wasn't the problem, it was staying asleep. Hidan didn't wake up covered in sweat because it was hot, although he wishes that were the case. He wasn't sure how much he twisted and turned in his sleep. He knew he did but Kakuzu never made any mention of it so he chalked it up to 'not-enough-for-Kakuzu-to-bother-with.' Hidan was more concerned about whether or not he was talking in his sleep. He was rather conflicted because he did and didn't want to know. Heaven forbid how embarrassing that would be if he said something while unconscious with Kakuzu right there. He'd never hear the end of it. 

But Kakuzu never revealed Hidan’s sleeping habits and he was determined not to ask. If Hidan did anything, it must not really be much of a nuisance to his short-tempered partner. And it had been awhile since he'd last woken up screaming or gasping for air so maybe his head was finally settling down. That didn't mean he slept soundly. Nightmares still uncontrollably clawed at his mind, shocking him awake in the middle of the night. And once he was awake, there was no going back to sleep. So to keep the peace between himself and Kakuzu he'd get up to take over watch duty.

Not that they ever expected to have any trouble.

It was more for the sake of Kakuzu's paranoia that they kept up their guard. With all the proof of this new peaceful era he had been brought into, Kakuzu refused to believe in it. He liked to say that peace never lasts and the five great nations will be at each other’s throats again in no time.

But Hidan had been wandering the lands almost two years longer than Kakuzu had. Kakuzu hadn’t seen the cooperation the ninja of today had with each other. Not yet anyways. It was awkward to see the headbands of rival villages sharing a meal together or, from his few human encounters, even have a family together. It just wasn’t right.

Hidan could feel his consciousness begin to slip. He pushed the rest of the world’s problems away and focused his hearing on the crackling of the fire. He coveted the sounds as they let him know he was aboveground. That he was outside.

That he was safe.

~~~

Arms crossed, Kakuzu watched Hidan toss and turn in his sleep. It was almost pathetic how tormented the other must be if he couldn't get one moment of rest. On most nights, Hidan whimpered and moaned, occasionally calling out a 'no' or 'stop' as his abuser tortured him in his dreams. Kakuzu didn’t think that Hidan had anything to really fear but clearly he had been traumatized by something. The nightmares were especially cruel when he woke up yelling in the middle of the night. Those instances were the worst. Kakuzu never actually saw it happen, he'd just hear Hidan's screams from his room. Instinct drove him to leap out of bed and be prepared for a fight but whenever he turned the corner he'd only see Hidan huddled up and breathing heavily. 

Hidan really was pitiful.

But he seemed to be doing better. These past few weeks Kakuzu had noticed Hidan eating more, actually taking care to groom himself, and getting his snappy attitude back. He still remained quiet on most days, only talking when he needed validation on their missions. Hidan also still stared off into nothingness as if his brain had shut off and stopped working and Kakuzu could swear the man sometimes forgot how to breathe when he did. It was... unsettling to say the least. 

He detested confessing it, but he couldn't help but wonder if he actually worried over Hidan. Kakuzu found himself missing the rants about the false god or his blathering on about whatever nonsense he was currently enamored with. The silence they now shared with each other was uncomfortable. A real kick in the teeth considering in the past all he wanted was for Hidan to shut up. But at least there had been some return to normalcy regarding his partner. Like earlier that day he could sense his boredom as they walked through the woods. It was a good sign that Hidan was fairing better. It made him a better asset.

Kakuzu stretched his legs out in front of him and gave a relaxed sigh as the heat from the flames warmed his feet. He was oddly chilly considering it had to be at least thirty degrees Celsius out. He never recalled ever being cold even in the dead of winter. Perhaps that was due to having multiple hearts. They did say people with cold hands had poor circulation, which is quite difficult to have when your body is pumping blood through five hearts.

Thinking of which, Kakuzu still debated on taking the same path as he had in the past. He had mostly made up his mind but there was still a sliver of longing for a normal existence. Once he performed the Earth Grudge Fear, there was no going back. No chance of having that average human life-a home to return to, maybe a family, a job that didn't involve fighting to survive. He never had that option. Couldn't have that option. His mission failure in killing the First Hokage resulted in scorn from his village and imprisonment for returning to a place that he had once called home. Takigakure was responsible for the path he took in the past. Violence was all he had ever known. 

But now, now he had a choice. Now he could have and do all the things he's ever wanted because for all anyone in the world was concerned, Kakuzu of the Hidden Waterfall was long dead.

His attention snapped back to Hidan when he heard him yell 'stop'. Kakuzu narrowed his eyes. It won't be much longer until the other awoke.

Hidan.

Hidan was a problem. A problem Kakuzu hadn’t solved yet. For the time being he was useful. The two had a couple of run-ins with some petty thieves and rogues but nobody challenging enough to pose a real threat to his life. But unlike in the past, Hidan didn’t rush forward in excitement to sacrifice the assailant. No, he’d use himself more as a shield to block any attacks from reaching Kakuzu before using his spear to finish them off. He didn’t perform any rituals or shout about his god and had only once used that curse jutsu of his because he wasn’t close enough to finish the bastard himself. Normally, Hidan rejoiced in a successful slaughter and seemed to get high off of his self-inflicted pain. But that day the lunatic didn’t find pleasure in the kill. Kakuzu used to think that if there is such a place as Hell, then Hidan was its messenger.

Hidan’s body suddenly jerked. Kakuzu closed his eyes and pretended not to notice his suddenly motionless partner. Hidan was awake, though he faced away from Kakuzu, and was most likely trying to calm himself down from whatever had shocked him conscious.

This happened every night. If Hidan had been a weaker willed man or capable of death, Kakuzu was sure he’d have hung himself by now. Men who are tormented even in their dreams don’t tend to live long.

Kakuzu, on the other hand, had no desire for death. Through exercise and workouts, his new body was in top physical form. It wouldn’t be a long shot to say he could probably overpower Hidan now with just sheer strength. However, if Hidan struck first, he was a dead man. Kakuzu's chakra reserve was several times larger than where he had begun but he still lacked. He could use his Iron Skin Technique a good number of times but his non-earth abilities needed significant power and consumed too much energy. So if it came to a fight with Hidan, he needed to be prepared or he'd lose. If only the immortal had remained in his sorry state, then Kakuzu would have no reason to worry.

Hidan sat up and rubbed his eyes pretending as if nothing had happened. "I hate sleeping on the ground," he told him. The bags under his eyes were dark as he blinked blearily at Kakuzu. "Couldn't we have, for once, stayed somewhere? It doesn’t have to be nice. I'd take a couch over this."

"I'll keep that in mind."  _As if where you slept was the issue,_  Kakuzu had wanted to say.

Hidan pulled his knees to his chest as he studied the small flames that licked at the damp wood. "Is it my turn to keep watch?"

_It might as well be._  Kakuzu pulled his legs closer to him and resumed his position of arms crossed and head down. He didn't open his eyes as he spoke, "Wake me when dawn comes."

"Right," Hidan's voice trailed off.

Kakuzu hardly needed to be told when to wake. He was a naturally early riser no matter how exhausted he was. Telling Hidan to rouse him when it was time to start the next day was just to give him a sense of responsibility and to hopefully stay quiet through the remainder of the night. Hidan wasn’t going to get any more sleep anyways so why not put him in charge?

As his consciousness faded, he could feel Hidan watching him and it wasn't as unnerving as it should have been. The malicious glare Hidan had always given him in the past never seemed to cross his pale face any longer. Those red-violet eyes of his showed loneliness like he'd never seen before. They didn't belong on the face of someone who took joy killing in the name of his god-

That was it. Sudden realization hit Kakuzu, almost pulling him awake. His  _god._  Kakuzu had noticed the lack of his god's name coming from Hidan’s mouth but he hadn't thought that Hidan would forsake his religion. He lived, breathed, and killed for his Jashin. Had the zealot finally given up? If the cause of his old partner’s melancholy attitude was due to him no longer believing, was that why he had chosen Kakuzu to bring back to life? Had Hidan felt so abandoned that he would rather continue living with someone he hated than to find someone or something else to fill the void?

How truly pitiful if that were true.


	10. Chapter 10

Hidan sulked as he waited outside a tattoo parlor and glared at anyone who stared as they passed by. Most squinted, looking into his eyes before scuttling away. His looks seemed to draw more attention than he remembered, but he guessed red eyes made anyone wary.

Damn Uchiha.

But it wasn’t like he could go anywhere. Well, no, he could, he just didn’t want to. It was rather humiliating to acknowledge that he followed Kakuzu around because he didn’t want Kakuzu to leave him. Every day that he woke up and Kakuzu hadn’t disappeared was a surprise. He had really thought the bastard would have taken off the second he got the chance.

So now he sat on the ground waiting outside for Kakuzu to get his dumb tattoos. He had voiced his opinions on what a seriously stupid idea it was but Kakuzu had been adamant and had brushed him off. His money, his body-he’ll do whatever he wants.

If they were in a less obvious spot, then Hidan wouldn't have cared so much, but they'd be right on display on both of his arms. They weren't even cool tattoos. Just stupid rings around his forearms. Only Kakuzu would actually like being marked as a criminal. Not to mention it was hypocritical of him to be all up in Hidan's business on remaining anonymous and then do the exact opposite of what he'd been harping on and gets his old prison tattoos back.

At first, Hidan's thought it was luck that they had found a seedy town where Kakuzu could get his ink done without being reported but as he looked around at the town's civilians, it became obvious that Kakuzu had known about this place before hand. He must have done some intelligence gathering during their short journeys on collecting Kakuzu's things. It was the only way he could have known about this place because they certainly hadn't come upon this shithole by chance. 

Yeah, this town sucked. The shabby run down homes and stores had people to match. Not even the food looked appetizing. Hidan had observed several drug transactions, some women selling their bodies, a few drunks stumbling about, and a handful of assholes getting kicked out of the shops. This was all in the course of an hour, by the way. If there was ever a place a petty criminal belonged, it was here. 

Hidan was fortunate no one picked a fight with him. Or perhaps unfortunate. He was itching to kill a few of the bastards who had given him strange looks. Some he believed were going to start something until their friend would pull them away. 

Hidan's stomach growled. It was still another hour before nightfall and he hadn't had much to eat on the way here. Kakuzu had been insistent on getting to this rundown town as soon as possible and had given Hidan little time to have a break. And not only had he practically dragged Hidan here, but had left him empty handed.  _You'd think with all the help I've given him he'd give me some money to get food_ , Hidan thought to himself.

Hidan watched the entrance as sounds of movement and voices became louder on the other side of the wall and a moment later Kakuzu stepped out. Green eyes fixated on him as Hidan scowled up at Kakuzu in hope that his anger was transferred telepathically.

"Let's go, Hidan," Kakuzu said as he walked away.

_Now I’m being ignored._ "Nuh-uh, not until I get something to eat," Hidan nearly yelled back as he scrambled to his feet.

Kakuzu halted and quickly looked around. "We'll go somewhere else on the way back."

Hidan perked up. "Really?" How rare. As long as it was cheap Kakuzu would eat just about anything. This place must really suck if he wasn't going to try the food. "Oi, oi, you better keep your word." Hidan bounded after him. "I don't want you changing your mind later."

"…Mmm."

~~~

Kakuzu sat across from Hidan in a booth seat at a small town barbeque joint. Like he had told Hidan, they'd find somewhere to stop on the way back and they had (not that Hidan would let him forget). Kakuzu had remembered passing by this place earlier that day and had silently told himself to stop on the way back. Things were going well so why not spoil himself a little?

As for Hidan, well, Hidan was just happy to eat something that wasn't mystery meat. The immortal's appetite was back in full swing and he'd put the weight he'd been missing back on his once frail frame. Other than the missing scythe and lack of preaching, Hidan was back to his usual self with his slicked back hair and otherwise well-groomed appearance. 

Oh, and the attitude. That 'I'm better than you' cheekiness Hidan liked to brandish. It was insufferable. But, Hidan had his usefulness. As annoying as he had been, Pain had chosen the perfect partner for Kakuzu and he figured it could have always been worse. In the past, although they had differing opinions, they worked incredibly well together. In fact, other than that last altercation where Kakuzu had died, the two’s battle style was flawless. He had begun to rely on Hidan more often than he probably should have.

He still relied on him now.

But that wasn’t any fault of Kakuzu’s. His rebirth left him weak and defenseless. Without Hidan, he wouldn’t have survived up until this point and as frustrating as it could be working with him, Kakuzu wasn’t going to throw him out just yet. Up front he liked to say it was out of courtesy that he stayed with Hidan but when it came down to it, the immortal was a remarkably decent human shield.

Although, as he thought back, that scrawnier and meek Hidan from a couple of months back was starting to look more appealing than the ‘normal’ Hidan. He was getting bolder with that vile tongue of his and had tried to argue with him earlier on the tattoos. Of course, Hidan’s reasoning was spot-on; the tattoos did brand Kakuzu and made his identity more apparent, but Hidan didn’t need to know that he was right.

And besides, the tattoos weren’t about aesthetics: they were an indication of who he was. Who he is. Kakuzu needed that reminder. That dream of a peaceful, human life was just a naïve thought. He could never remain content like that for very long. His body may have reset but his mind and memories were intact. And all he knew was violence.

So if he pissed off Hidan with his resource collecting, which Kakuzu knew didn’t bother Hidan as much as he liked to complain like it did, then so be it. Kakuzu had his mind made and if Hidan was going to stick around, then Kakuzu wasn’t going to stop him.

“Quit staring at me,” Hidan interjected his thoughts.

Hm? He had been staring? Kakuzu hadn't been aware. "I'm not staring," he countered. It was good he wore the mask or Hidan would see his embarrassment.

"Then space out somewhere else," Hidan retorted and uttered under his breath, "Fucking creep."

Before Kakuzu could respond to that rude comment, their waitress returned with arms full of food and another server behind her, his arms also filled. She set their table while she chatted like servers do and clasped her hands together when she finished.

“Do you gentlemen need anything else?” She turned to Kakuzu. “Would you like more tea, sir?”

Kakuzu hummed a response and passed her his cup, which she took with a smile and walked off.

“Ha! ‘ _Gentlemen_ ,’” Hidan mocked when she was out of earshot. He began grabbing bowls of sauces and platters of meat and piled it onto his plate. “We’re far from being _‘gentlemen.’_ ”

Kakuzu, with much more grace than his seemingly ravenous partner, picked up his chopsticks and began to fill his own plate with the various grilled meats and vegetables. “She’s just using proper etiquette. Don’t think too much into it.” Kakuzu paused and looked up at Hidan who was currently stuffing his mouth with more food than he could handle. Kakuzu’s shoulders dropped into blatant disappointment. “Perhaps you could learn a few things from her.”

Hidan tried to scowl. “I’m hungry,” he finally managed to say. Hidan forced the food in his overstuffed mouth down in one large swallow. He grimaced as he waited for it to slide down his throat then chased it down with half a glass of water. “Besides,” he coughed out, “this is the best food we’ve ever had. I’m going to enjoy it.”

Kakuzu sighed and pulled his mask down so he could eat. If there was one thing he had learned in his short time working with Hidan in Akatsuki, there was no winning an argument against him. He wasn’t sure if that was due to Hidan’s thick-headedness or he was just that arrogant, but either way, his partner certainly worked him to his last nerve.

Kakuzu tried not to watch Hidan shovel the food into his mouth like a starving animal. How in the world did he end up stuck with this idiot even after death?

_If there is a God, then he must sincerely hate me._


	11. Chapter 11

It was finally time. 

Kakuzu unraveled the old scroll containing the Earth Grudge Fear instructions and placed it out in front of him. The low lighting provided by the various candles and fireplace illuminated the faces of two, rogue Hidden Stone shinobi, bound and gagged against the back wall. He and Hidan had gone through great lengths to track and capture the two alive and drag them back to the hideout unnoticed.

It hadn't been easy. Kakuzu had to rely heavily on Hidan's skills due to the lack of his own and Hidan wasn't as coordinated as Kakuzu had hoped. The fight had been sloppy but Kakuzu could only blame himself. Muscle memory controlled his movements and although he had been able to dodge and keep up in close range combat, he found himself waiting for his arm to detach and extend only to realize that he couldn't almost seconds too late in getting himself killed. 

They were fortunate that these rogues weren't all that skilled but it had taken some serious scouting to find that out. Kakuzu wasn't going to waste his life from being arrogant but it seemed like peace amongst the nations had bred weaker shinobi. Which was odd. Normally the weak stayed in the allegiance of their villages and it was the strong that deserted. Seeing C and B rank wanted posters was a little disheartening. These shinobi had no exceptional skills that would make them real threats and their bounties were small.

But perhaps that was sufficient for now. It would take time to rebuild his chakra strength and meager bounties would suit for now to sustain him... and maybe Hidan. At least until they went their separate ways. 

Kakuzu took a marker out of his pocket and began drawing lines encircling his arms. He planned on having his body stitched together to as close as to what he could remember. He sauntered over to a broken mirror and pulled off his shirt. He continued drawing matching lines across his shoulder to his breasts and another pair from his collarbone to over onto his back. The rest, specifically the ones that would encompass the masks, would have to happen on their own. As for the remainder of him, his lower half didn't require any attention. His stitch work would only need to affect his upper body where he stored all of his organs.

He raised the marker to his face and hesitated. He didn't need to draw lines to remember what his appearance had once been. It's hard to forget the scarred grin that stretched up to his ears. It's why he wore the mask. People would overlook the scars on the rest of his body but when or if they ever got the chance to see his face, most shuddered and ostracized him. Something he was already used to. 

Shy wasn't the right word for why he hid his face. It was a tactful advantage to not lure attention to one's self and a mutilated face certainly drew a crowd. Although, it would be a lie if Kakuzu said it hadn't bothered him. He couldn’t eat a meal or bathe without curious onlookers. 

Kakuzu placed the cap back on the marker and took a long, hard look at himself. Once the damage is done there was no reversing the jutsu.

~~~

"AUGH!" 

Kakuzu stood hunched over the table trying to suppress his screams. No amount of mental preparation could really have made the pain any less terrible. His nails dug into the wood on the underside of the table making his fingers bleed from the sheer force of his grip. The items he had so carefully laid out were a scattered mess and the two, bound shinobi sat shivering against the wall as the horror unfolded. 

Kakuzu's body was rebuilding itself-entwining the threads into muscle fibers and blood vessels. It was a gruesome process that took time and a lot of energy. Kakuzu had to keep his chakra flow going if he were to survive the transition otherwise he would most certainly fall prey to an agonizing death. 

Not that he wasn't already in agony. To go through this a second time was unimaginable. The body naturally fought off the invading threads, letting the user know that every last bit of flesh and nerve ending was being attacked. It was almost too much to bear.

After some time, his body settled down; the threads were unifying with his insides at last. Kakuzu, sweat pouring down his face, stumbled around for the knife he had knocked over while trying to catch his breath. The jutsu wasn't finished yet. He still needed to make the cuts where he had marked his skin.

He found the blade halfway across the room in fortunately the opposite direction from the captured ninja. God forbid the two had attacked him in such a vulnerable state.

Kakuzu rested his hip on the table and held the knife to his arm. He had half considered having Hidan handle this part, but then an image of a sadistic smile flashed through his mind seconds before he had reached out to the immortal. Trust wasn’t something shared between the two.

He drew the sharp edge over the smudges and hissed. His body felt like it was on fire and cutting his skin was like adding salt to the wound. Blood threatened to rush from the gash but the black tendrils squirming underneath escaped instead. Kakuzu continued sawing away at his arm until it was nearly detached. The threads writhed to connect his limb back together and Kakuzu almost let them. He wove a few signs, slowly and with unsteady accuracy, and summoned up the chakra. The skin at the edges of the cut sizzled and hardened and strands poked out from the skin and stabbed into the detached limb, sewing the arm closed.

Kakuzu flexed his shaky fingers. One down.

~~~

Hidan ventured through the halls with a tinge of worry. Kakuzu said it would take time and that he was better off waiting until he was finished but Hidan couldn't stand around doing nothing any longer. He'd heard Kakuzu's faint yells echo through the hideout, which he guessed was to be expected. Specially considering Kakuzu was completely changing his body into something else. Hidan knew even acclimating new hearts in the past could be a painful process for him. 

The muffled cries of the shinobi they had captured had calmed Hidan's mind for a while until there was nothing but silence coming from the depths. Hidan fretted that the jutsu had failed.

The scent of fresh blood bathed Hidan the farther he went inside. He quickened his pace, ignoring the walls around him and focused his mind on getting to Kakuzu. He had to know if he was okay-that everything up until now hadn't been wasted.

Hidan rounded the corner and halted. A figure stood with his back to him except the back was ripped open and stitches were pulling it back together. Two masks were already in place, the water and wind masks, but they were covered in bloody fingerprints. 

Actually, as Hidan looked Kakuzu over, all of him was covered in blood. And judging from the way it left trails across his skin, most of it was his own.

Kakuzu's body heaved and although Hidan couldn't see very well, he was certain he was clutching at his chest. Kakuzu stumbled backwards into the table, releasing a few gasps of pain. Hidan wanted to run over and assist but he was damn sure there was nothing he'd be able to do to help.

Hidan chewed on his bottom lip as he tiptoed back out of the room planning to reenter when it was safer to interfere. Kakuzu most likely needed space and to be alone for now otherwise he would have asked Hidan for help. And if this were the same Kakuzu from the past, he’d be angry if Hidan pried into his problems. So he waited around the corner focusing only on the sounds of Kakuzu and pretending he wasn't in a stone coffin. He'd be of no use if he had an attack now.

After some time had passed, Kakuzu sounded more like he was resting than suffering. Hidan got up from where he sat and made his footsteps a little louder than necessary so his approach wasn't a surprise. He found Kakuzu leaning back in a chair nearly half-asleep and still covered in gore. His eyes glinted in the candlelight, no more than slits as he watched Hidan enter. 

"Man, you certainly made a mess," Hidan proclaimed as he looked around. Blood was literally splattered everywhere and the two bodies had their chests split open and organs spilling out. The room reeked of the iron liquid.

Hidan frowned. Kakuzu should have done this outside. There was no way they were going to get this place clean-they might as well give up on it. In a few days there'll be the awful stench of decay accompanied by hundreds of maggots. Hidan's skin crawled just thinking about it. "Seriously," he shook his head.

Kakuzu was looking at him, that much he knew, but the dim light made it difficult to see what he was thinking. Hidan sighed. "Honestly," he mumbled. He sauntered over to the two bodies and squatted down to observe their mangled corpses. Kakuzu hadn't even tried to make a clean kill. The holes where their hearts should have been were larger than a fist and from the looks of it, Kakuzu had ripped their chest cavities open. Organs seeped out and still oozed their contents and the look of pain and fear was still etched on the faces of the shinobi.

This was a total mess.

Hidan got up and left the room without so much of a passing glance at Kakuzu. He went directly to the room Kakuzu slept in and dragged off the sheets. He bunched them up in his arms and marched back to the slaughter. 

Kakuzu hadn't made any effort to move. Maybe he was actually dead and Hidan was wasting his time. 

He dragged the corpses onto the blankets, making a disgusted face as the organs squished between his fingers. _I_   _shouldn't be the one doing this. It's not_ my _mess._  He looked over his shoulder and scowled. Without turning away, he felt around inside the bodies until he found a small chunk and lobbed it at Kakuzu. It made contact and Kakuzu flinched. The gross squish of it hitting him and then the floor put a smile on Hidan's face. 

Kakuzu growled but Hidan just chuckled. "Oi, oi! Don't expect me to do this all myself. This is  _your_  mess." Kakuzu, to Hidan’s astonishment, got up with a stance that screamed 'pissed off'. Hidan didn't care as long as he helped. "I already did the worst of it. Just help carry." Kakuzu silently walked over to the opposite end of the sheets and gathered the ends. Hidan did the same and stood up. 

The two waddled through the hideout in silence. Hidan tried to make out Kakuzu's appearance, curious on how he looked, but the candlelight wasn't really adequate and only managed to show the stitching on his arms. He knew Kakuzu was shirtless and had seen the stich work on his back already but what he really wanted to see was the face. His hair was just long enough to hide the cheeks and that really frustrated Hidan. Did Kakuzu go through with sewing up his face as well? Did he give himself that permanent scarecrow smile Hidan had been so familiar with? He was dying to know.

He would find out soon enough. It was still daylight out as they left the hideout and continued into the woods. They had been smart enough to dig a grave ahead of time and planned to dump the bodies there. 

It was difficult to make out anything underneath all the blood but Kakuzu's sutures were raised bumps against his skin. They were in the usual places he expected-in fact, the stitches looked right about exactly where they belong. His face, however, was still hidden. The hair he'd been growing out was now jaw length and an unkempt mess. Blood and sweat made the hair stick to his skin and covered even his eyes. 

When they reached the hole they had little care in putting the bodies in their resting place. They dropped them in, blankets and all, and stepped back. Hidan shifted his gaze on Kakuzu. "You should go jump in the river-you stink." 

Kakuzu turned toward him, but then looked over himself. "Ah. I'll do just that." Hidan thought his voice sounded hoarse and a little muffled. Odd considering he wasn't wearing his mask.

With Kakuzu gone to wash himself, it now meant that Hidan was left to clean up. Hands on hips, he looked at the hole and swallowed. He had been nervous just helping Kakuzu dig it, argiung that Kakuzu should just use some jutsu to make it and save them the back breaking work but Kakuzu had been all _'I need to conserve my chakra.'_ And now the piece of shit was taking a bath while Hidan slaved away. 

Hidan grabbed the shovel and began hauling the dirt into the pit. He had to keep reminding himself that this wasn't his own grave just to keep himself stable.  _Fuck him. He owes me._

~~~

Kakuzu waded into the chilly water. Still being fresh, the blood and gore washed off rather easily. He dunked himself for a quick rinse. He was still a little shaky from casting the jutsu and didn't want to overwhelm his body just from bathing. The river wasn't deep, getting only as high as his waist in certain places, but that still didn’t mean he couldn’t drown.

He hesitated as he caught sight of his reflection. The moving water obscured the finer details but what stared back was definitely a familiar face. He traced the thick wires on the side of his cheek that sewed his stretched mouth together. He had avoided looking at himself in the mirror knowing that only a monster would return his gaze but it seems he couldn't avoid reality. 

A pang of regret washed over him immediately being replaced by rage. He slapped his reflection away to destroy the reddened eyes that stared back. He'd cast out his future of being anything more than a monster just because he was too much of a coward. 

Kakuzu shook out his hand in hopes of subsiding the sting. His body was still tender from the jutsu and was harshly punishing him for casting it on such a soft body. Kakuzu knew he rushed things; he could have waited a little longer until his body would have accepted the change better but he had been impatient. Not just because Hidan pestered him, but also because he feared if he didn't, he'd just end up dead.

He finished washing off and slicked his hair back. It was at that annoying length-too long that it irritated his eyes but too short to tie back. He never understood how Hidan could stand it when he didn't have it gelled down in place. Then again, Hidan took pride in his appearance. Less could be said of Kakuzu. 

He slowly waded to the riverbank. He hadn't planned this out very well. The cleanest article of clothing he had was perhaps his underwear; everything else was still damp with blood. He swiped the pair of pants and sat down on a nearby rock. Submerging the cloth, he rubbed at the stains, the majority of it lifting off without a fight. Still fresh, the blood hadn't set into the fibers but some of the patches that had already dried needed more work. 

He sat naked in the river working away at the pants until his upper body was nearly dry. However, his hair still carried a dampness to it, with some strands springing free and making their way into his face yet again. Satisfied for now, he made his way to shore. He was fortunate they were so isolated. Seeing someone bathing in a river wasn't much to gawk at. Seeing someone covered in stitches and two masks sewn to their back was something else entirely. 

Kakuzu pulled up his underwear and hesitated as he grabbed at his pants. It would take an hour at minimum for them to dry and if he dawdled any longer Hidan would assuredly come looking for him. Leaving Hidan to clean up the mess was probably a mistake. Then again, as Kakuzu thought on it, it wouldn't surprise him if he returned and Hidan was lazing around anyways. 

But for the benefit of the doubt, Kakuzu slipped on his shoes and carried his pants. No one but Hidan was around in this forest so he wasn't too concerned on being seen but he kept his guard up anyways. 

As Kakuzu approached the clearing he passed a mound of freshly moved dirt where a hole should have been. That was a pleasant surprise. However, Hidan wasn't to be found. 

Kakuzu hung the pair of pants on a low hanging branch before heading inside the hideout. He heard Hidan cursing up a storm coming from the direction of the den but he traveled away from it and to the room he had been staying in. 

Kakuzu stopped short as he entered. His makeshift pillow was haplessly cast on the ground and his cot was devoid of any sheets or blankets. "You little shit," he mumbled to himself. That explained why the sheets they had used to carry the bodies had looked so familiar.

He supposed he deserved this as he tried to calm himself down while putting on fresh clothes. It hadn't been fair to let Hidan take care of the cleanup and using the bed sheets had been a wise decision on Hidan's part. Dragging the disemboweled bodies across the hideout would have ended up a much larger mess. Kakuzu blamed only himself. He should have prepared better instead of being sloppy. 

He nearly collided with Hidan on his way to help. The shorter of the two was carrying a rusted bucket full of liquid and a scowl on his face. That scowl quickly turned into surprise for a quick second as their eyes met before returning to a frown. 

"It's about damn time you showed your sorry ass." Hidan's eyes scanned Kakuzu, taking the old (or maybe new?) image in. 

Kakuzu turned away to proceed to the den and hummed an affirmation. He heard a huff come from behind him and then rushed footsteps heading the opposite direction. He guessed Hidan was in no mood to argue.

He scanned the room as he looked around. Hidan had done an impressive job at cleaning. The majority of the mess seemed to have been taken care of and not much was left for Kakuzu to do.

Swearing echoed through the halls as Hidan returned. It was comforting to know that he was back to his usual self, even if that meant he was a bigger pain in the ass. He mentioned his god, Jashin, more often and was babbling on about nonsense like he had never stopped. It was insufferable to listen to but at least it meant he could predict Hidan’s confrontations more often.

Hidan dropped the bucket he had been carrying and let it splash all over the floor. "Here. I'm taking a break." With that he left, stretching out his arms as he made his way around the corner. 

Kakuzu watched him leave for a moment and then stepped into the puddle. The bucket had fresh water in it and a stained rag. Had Hidan run to the river and back? He hadn’t been gone that long and the river wasn’t exactly right behind the first tree. How unusual for Hidan to be so eager to clean up a mess.

He looked over at the red stain where the bodies had been. How curious. Most of it, it seemed, had already been wiped away. Hidan had made himself useful without even being asked.

Kakuzu, soaked rag in hand, ran the cloth over the table that had been splattered with blood. He took notice on how the scroll and knife were placed on the nearby bookshelf, safe from further harm.

How curious indeed.


	12. Chapter 12

Hidan winced as he pulled his spear out from his chest. The kill was over and with it, the pleasure. He sat up and massaged the skin around the hole between his ribs. It had been a long while since he had thoroughly sacrificed anyone and although he was no longer addicted to the rush deaths gave him he could feel himself beginning to adjust and crave for more. 

He glanced over at Kakuzu who was perched on top of the other shinobi. If it worked, this should be the final heart Kakuzu needed to complete his arsenal. It was about damn time too. It felt like Kakuzu had been dragging his feet up to this point. Hidan had been getting frustrated with how slow they did everything and there was no excuse. Kakuzu's spirit may be old but his body is new so when they frequently took too many breaks Hidan just wanted to kick his ass to get him moving.

His partner had also been doing some intelligence gathering. Hidan wasn't sure how but Kakuzu had convinced him that they needed to find an organization to associate with. Something like Akatsuki. And apparently there are a lot to choose from.

The peace amongst the great nations was just a farce, according to Kakuzu. Allegiances lasted only until someone was wronged and he was sure they'd be back at each other's throats soon enough. But just because there weren't any major wars or feuds didn't mean everyone was happy. 

It also meant that not everyone was so trusting. Like Akatsuki had once tried to achieve, the great nations used small organizations that were dissociated with any one major land to spy or assassinate on whomever they felt necessary to betray without the risks of sending their own ninja. And due to the 'peace' creating less revenue for Villages, a lot of shinobi defected and started up organizations of their own. 

Kakuzu was confident they'd find a group they could join but Hidan hadn't been fully swayed. With only a twenty-year buffer, there was a high possibility of being recognized by anyone who was alive at the time of Akatsuki's rise to power. He thought that was why Kakuzu was so adamant on finding a group. Kakuzu would never admit it, but Hidan was sure he wanted to join up with a faction for protection. Though, he made sure Hidan was aware that he wasn't exactly welcome to join him, but Kakuzu wasn't going to stop him either.

Hidan leaned into his knees. It was pleasing to see Kakuzu back in his old body. He was never a fan of the stitches but he had found himself missing them. Not that he ever really got to see them. Kakuzu covered himself up in what Hidan hoped was because he was self-conscious on his appearance-a weakness Hidan hoped to exploit one day.

Kakuzu approached him while rubbing the back of his neck and rolling his joints. He was bare-chested, having somehow lost his shirt in the fight, but all in all looked unharmed. He stopped a few feet from Hidan and looked him over. "You ruined your clothes."

"Ha?"  _Is he trying to pick a fight with me?_ "Take a look at yourself before yelling at others." Hidan got up and dusted off his pants. "Mine's still salvageable." He pointed a finger at the scraps of cloth that were scattered around. "Yours might as well be nonexistent.”

"Hmph. I didn't exactly have a choice. From what I observed, you had plenty of time to remove your clothes before beginning your stupid ceremony."

Hidan stopped dusting himself off and turned to glare at Kakuzu. "Maybe if you spent less time watching what I'm doing and focused on yourself, maybe you wouldn't have lost your shirt," he spat back. Who the fuck did Kakuzu think he was? He wouldn't even be here if it weren't for Hidan and yet he thought he could boss him around?

Kakuzu turned his back on Hidan and headed towards the small pack he had abandoned before the fight. He pulled out a bundled shirt, one with an exposed back, and quickly put it on. "Keep in mind,  _my_  clothing wasn't as expensive as yours." He picked up the thin jacket he wore to hide the masks on his back and put it on.

_So that's what this is all about: his fucking money._ Hidan twirled his spear around in his hand for a moment and then aimed it at Kakuzu. "Fuck off. You still ruined a shirt and that shirt cost money. Don't lecture me on your misgivings." He dragged his feet over to the rogue Hidden Mist ninja he had sacrificed. "Besides, what are these guys worth?" He kicked the corpse over so he could see the man's face. It was no one he recognized and someone relatively young to be a rogue. He kneeled down and poked the body with the blunt end of the spear. "Probably not much considering how weak they were but enough to buy you a damn shirt."

Hidan looked over his shoulder at Kakuzu's approach. "We have to find a collection agency to find out. I no longer have a bingo book to go by." 

Hidan thought on it. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I know I suggested it but what if we're recognized or it's a trap?"

"Hmph. So you do have something in that head of yours." Hidan bit back a retort. He'd just end up kindling Kakuzu's lousy opinion of him. "I've already been looking into places. There aren't many private run ones left but there is one nearby." He looked down at Hidan. "Hence why I chose this location."

_You think you're so god damn smart, don't you?_  Hidan thought to himself. He sighed, half giving up on another verbal fight. "Fine, but I at least deserve half."

"Oh? Since when do you care about money?" Kakuzu sounded genuinely interested, maybe even sarcastic, as he walked away to the other corpse.

"Tch! I don't care about money but I do care about eating. I'm sick of fish-we eat it so much I swear I smell like it."

"Well," Kakuzu responded. He grabbed his kill by the shirt collar and hoisted it over onto his back. "Grab the other body and we'll see how much they're worth."

Hidan chewed his lip in a pout. Carrying a dead body to an exchange point was his least favorite part of bounty hunting. He pushed the shinobi's head over so he could grab them by the collar as well. Kakuzu better not be lying. The dead reeked when they started to decay and that always attracted flies-the most annoying insects on the planet.

By the time Hidan finished mentally preparing himself, Kakuzu was already heading out, tired of Hidan's dawdling.

"Oi, oi! Kakuzu! Wait up!" Hidan called after him. He snatched up the ninja and dragged the corpse behind him as he ran to catch up. 

"Damage the body any further and you won't get anything," Kakuzu scolded him.

"Heh, what's that? Concerned for me, are you? Then I’ll just borrow some from you and pay you back later," Hidan joked.

"Be quiet, Hidan, or I  _will_  kill you."

Hidan lit up in surprise. "Ho-ho! Haven't heard that one in forever!" He was grinning from ear to ear. Kakuzu threatening him was nostalgic; he hadn’t realized how much he missed it. "Neh, you're finally back to your old self! I was wondering how much longer it would take!" Hidan was giddy with excitement and laughed as Kakuzu remained silent. "Ha haha, what? Don't get shy on me! Admit it: you actually missed making threats!" 

Hidan fell further behind as Kakuzu increased his pace, which only fueled his enthusiasm. "Oi, oi, Kakuzu. We should celebrate with a real meal for once! Nah? Kakuzu-chan?" He really should stop before Kakuzu snapped but this was the most fun Hidan had had in a long time. It was the first time he felt like things were back to normal since being buried alive and although he may end up spoiling the moment, he wasn't going to let it end without a little more amusement.

He chased after Kakuzu with a playful skip in his step trying his damnedest to get any further reaction from his stoic partner, all the while, beaming with joy.


	13. Chapter 13

"So, what? We're just going to go from place to place until you find a group that you like? That sounds fucking stupid," Hidan barraged Kakuzu. They had just left a rogue organization for the umpteenth time because Kakuzu was being meticulous. "Just pick one for now. We can always find another one later." 

Hidan was beginning to be more unbearable the longer he ran his mouth. Yes, Kakuzu agreed that he was being a little too uptight on choosing an organization but he had to find the right one that wasn't going to run itself into the ground after a few months. So he made up some major flaw with each one they visited in the hopes of quieting Hidan at least for a short time. "They were disorganized and the leadership hierarchy wasn't established. They were ready to gut each other for power."

"Yeah, so?" Hidan motioned with his hands as if to get his point across. "Why don't we just take over these dumbasses and make our own group? They're all weak as shit so it wouldn't be hard."

"I'm not interested in being in control of other people." He really wasn't. Humanity was just one big disappointment after another and he didn't see himself being a good leader. In fact, he'd probably end up killing off the majority of members just because they pissed him off. No thanks. Kakuzu would rather stick with being a supporter than a boss.

Though it surprised him that Hidan would suggest something so unlike him. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t considered it but he knew he’d lose control. Things wouldn’t end well for Kakuzu - he was certain of it. It wouldn't take long for Hidan's abilities to be noticed and any weak idiot would blindly follow the teachings of someone who acquired a form of immortality. The last thing Kakuzu wanted was to be part of a cult and surrounded by morons preaching about Jashin. 

He sighed. "I have a few left we can scope out."

Hidan wasn't convinced. "And what if they suck too? I'm getting real sick of you being so damn picky."

Kakuzu stopped in his tracks and sharply turned his head. Hidan halted, surprised at first, before returning an icy stare. "Hidan, if you have something more important to do, I won't stop you."

"Tch! Trying to get rid of me, eh?" Hidan sneered. "Well I ain't getting left behind just ‘cause you're annoyed. Don't forget, Kakuzu," his tone darkened, "I'm the reason you're even here."

_So he's finally throwing that at me. Took him long enough._  Kakuzu moved so he could face all of Hidan. "Am I supposed to be grateful?" He nearly smiled as he watched Hidan lose his composure. "You brought me back for petty revenge - did you stop to think that maybe I enjoyed my time in the afterlife?" At this point, Kakuzu was pissed. He had been listening to Hidan complain and curse at him for days and wanted nothing short of ripping Hidan's head off for even suggesting that Kakuzu owed him. But instead of lashing out, he settled for guilt tripping. "No, you only thought of yourself. Now I have to endure the pains of being alive all over again and that's all thanks to you." Hidan's face was contorting into perhaps the angriest Kakuzu had ever seen him.

He wasn’t afraid of Hidan, but Kakuzu carried doubts on his own abilities. He still lacked a significant chakra reserve and hadn’t lost a heart yet to know the time it took to reset. If he were out too long, it would give Hidan the opportunity to restart a ceremony without Kakuzu being conscious of it. So he turned his back and started walking away with his muscles at the ready just in case Hidan tried to over power him. 

"So thank you, Hidan, for giving me a second chance at a miserable existence." Kakuzu was lying, of course. He didn't mind being alive again and as for his time spent in the afterlife, he had no recollection of it, so to him, such a place didn't exist. But Hidan didn't know any of that. Hidan had faith there was a Hell. To him, there had to be – it’s where he sent all of his sacrifices to in the name of his pitiful god.

"Fuck you!" There it is. In no world could Hidan ever stay quiet after hearing all that. "You should be grateful! You were rotting in Hell like the rest of the heathens! 

“And my revenge isn't petty!" He added. "Jashin-sama asked for his death so I'm going to deliver! And you said you wanted him dead too, so shut your fucking mouth!" He still hung onto killing Shikamaru - probably would for the rest of his miserable life. One would think he’d actually remember the name of the boy who’d ruined everything for him and not just as ‘that shadow asshole.’

He had caught up to Kakuzu while yelling his head off but he showed no signs of being a real threat so Kakuzu relaxed some.

This was perhaps their worst argument yet. Well, not really the worst in their history together but the worst one since his resurrection. Kakuzu, confident now that he could survive one of Hidan's rituals, had no reason to hold back on his temper any longer. He had been waiting for the day he could finally shove a fist down Hidan's throat and if the man cursing at him right now didn't cease any time soon, that may just end up being today.

"Fuck your shitty attitude. That jutsu not only made you ugly as shit but you got the personality to match. I liked you better a month ago."

Kakuzu balled his fists. Controlling his anger was never a concept he could grasp. It wasn't as easy or relieving as just letting himself explode and beating the shit out of whatever stood in his way. Kakuzu whipped his head around. "I haven't changed, Hidan. You've just become more annoying."

A partial lie. Hidan  _had_  become more obnoxious as time went on. The quiet and meek Hidan he had woken up to was an empty husk compared to how he was now. But Kakuzu had been restraining himself up until this point, so in a way, to Hidan, he supposed it was like his personality had worsened.

Red-violet eyes burned into him. If this argument went on any further they'd be at each other's throats.

Kakuzu started walking again in the hopes that Hidan would follow obediently. "If we can't find a group worthy of our talents then we'll do things your way." There, that should satisfy him for now.

Hidan remained quiet for a few breaths, clearly thinking it over. "Fine," he agreed, though he didn't sound happy about it. "But don't expect me to listen to anyone telling me what to do."

_It wouldn't be you if you did,_  Kakuzu thought to himself.


	14. Chapter 14

The early afternoon sun beat down on them as Hidan shuffled in behind Kakuzu, a pout on his lips. They had squabbled a few more times about where to go and what to do but ultimately Kakuzu had led them to a small town along the border of the Land of Earth and Land of Stone. Not the safest place for mercenaries but Kakuzu kept in mind the Hidden Stone's previous use of Akatsuki in the past and hoped the new Tsuchikage was just as mistrusting as the one before.

Kakuzu glanced around. If the information he had been given was correct, this was the usual hangout of a group who called themselves 'The Crows'. They were, from what he had gathered, more like thugs than mercenaries and had a large membership. Kakuzu wasn't thrilled with the idea of joining them but he had run out of options and indisputably didn't want to let Hidan make any decisions. 

He had hoped for a chance encounter with a specific group. There were inklings of rumors of the existence of an organization feared to be the next coming of Akatsuki but no one had a definite answer on their whereabouts. Kakuzu couldn't even get a straight name of what to call them.

His focus now was on locating a Crow member. They were definitely in the right place. Several scattered handfuls of men and women with crossed out headbands stood huddled together as Hidan and Kakuzu passed through. He took notice of the insignia on the clothing of a large portion of them: a black bird holding a feather in its mouth. His eyes only glanced over them, but their stares lingered and an uncomfortable silence followed them. 

They weren't welcome.

"Nah, Kakuzu," Hidan broke into his concentration, "can we get something to eat?" Leave it to Hidan to not pick up on the surrounding atmosphere.

"Mm," he confirmed and headed towards the nearest food stand. That surprised Hidan but didn't stop him from rushing ahead. Kakuzu ordered first, something simple and inexpensive, and extended his senses for threats while Hidan took his time figuring out what he wanted. They were being watched and their onlookers weren't trying to hide that fact. Even the man behind the counter seemed on edge and a little too eager to take their order and send them on their way.

They hung around the stand while they waited for their food. Kakuzu leaned against a nearby tree, arms crossed and eyes closed as he listened to his surroundings. Hidan, on the other hand, wasn't as conscious to the potential threats and kicked at the dirt or broke apart twigs he picked off the ground. He thought on it, but decided he should warn him.

"Hidan," Kakuzu nearly growled.

"I know. The air here is practically oozing hostility, Kakuzu. I'm not that much of an idiot." Hidan continued what he was doing without so much as a glance at Kakuzu. So Hidan wasn't completely oblivious, which was good, he supposed. It meant that if it came to a fight, Hidan wouldn't be caught off-guard. Kakuzu had to admit he didn't think Hidan was aware of much. Like he was stuck in his own little world. He really should give his partner more credit. Kakuzu couldn't decipher if Hidan just acted oblivious or simply didn't care. Either way, he supposed it didn't matter so long as Hidan was prepared for an ambush.

With their food finally done, Kakuzu decided to have them eat elsewhere. He actually hoped to walk into a trap - it'd be the fastest way to meet a higher-up and to give a little show on their talents; not that he was going to reveal everything. Kakuzu had warned Hidan not to let anyone know that he was incapable of dying or to perform one of his rituals. He was just too unique - that letting anyone see it was too risky. The same, of course, applied to him. He wasn't about to let anyone see the masks on his back and bear witness to the monsters lying within. Twenty years really wasn't a long enough time to forget about someone like him and the same for Hidan. And it was only a matter of time before the Leaf found an empty grave.

"These pot stickers kinda suck. They're burned and that asshole skimped on the meat," Hidan complained between mouthfuls. 

"Then you should have ordered something more filling." Kakuzu's own food hadn't looked all that appetizing either. It was a simple sandwich that the cooks had somehow managed to make bland and its presentation had been rushed. But he still paid for and ate it anyways.

They were just outside the main reaches of the town, close enough to still hear the hustle and bustle, but hidden from most eyes. Kakuzu says hidden, but he knew they had been followed.

"Man, this wasn't satisfying at all," Hidan said as he wiped the crumbs off himself. He pointed a finger at Kakuzu with a grin on his face. "Your sandwich looked like shit. I'm surprised you aren't suggesting you go and demand your money back." 

Kakuzu remained silent, which only antagonized Hidan further. "I mean, you're so stingy with money. And why'd you drag us all the way out here when they had seating for customers? What's the matter, Kakuzu?" Hidan turned to him with a playful look. "Too afraid of all the assholes watching us?"

 _Shit!_ He should have seen where Hidan was getting at. Kakuzu sprung up and readied for a fight.

In a flash they were surrounded. Kakuzu counted about a dozen men and women, all with the same symbol: the black bird with the feather in its mouth. He didn't view anyone as too big of a threat but they were outnumbered.

Hidan stepped in beside him, completely calm and unimpressed. Kakuzu narrowed his eyes at him. That carefree attitude is usually what gets him into trouble but now he was just being reckless.

Like the day of a certain beheading.

"Geez, everyone needs to calm down. We're not looking for trouble." 

Hidan was being unusually composed. Kakuzu relaxed beside him. Maybe letting him take charge would be easier. Hidan was less intimidating in comparison. 

"All we want is to talk to whichever one of you assholes is in charge. We don't give shit about the rest of you-"

Kakuzu thrust his hand up towards Hidan's mouth to cut him off. Hidan sucked his teeth at him but stayed silent. "What my partner is trying to say is we're interested in joining and would like to discuss becoming members of the Crows."

One of them, a scrawny man with hair parted to the side, stepped forward and pointed a sword at Kakuzu. "And what makes you think we're looking for new members?" 

"This is a bust. Let's just kill them and-"

"Be quiet, Hidan!" Kakuzu snapped, but only loud enough for Hidan to hear. In a louder voice, he called out to the man who brandished his weapon at them. "From my understanding, a man by the name of Oogura is in charge. I'd like to offer our services." This man wasn't in charge. The information he had gathered said Oogura had blonde hair and a scar running down his face. The brat in front of him barely looked like he'd seen the sharp end of a blade.

"What kind of services?" The others seemed to be letting their guards down as the young man spoke.

"My partner and I are seasoned bounty hunters. We're good at pulling in large amounts of cash." Kakuzu smiled inwardly. The mention of money had drawn everyone's attention. This ragtag bunch will be easy to manipulate.

The man lowered his sword, clearly interested in more of what Kakuzu had to say. "Alright then, we'll take you to Oogura. But first, surrender any weapons."

"Hah? Where do you-"

"Hidan, do as they say," he ordered. Hidan shot a glare and stuttered to say more but ultimately surrendered his spear to a woman who had come to collect.

The man, who seemed to be higher up on the food chain than the others, didn't look convinced that the spear was all they had. "That can't be it. What else are you hiding?"

"Heh, that's it, dickhead," Hidan sneered. 

_Dammit, Hidan. Name-calling isn't winning you any points._

"I'm the only one who uses weapons. Kakuzu has no need for them because his body is-ah-" Kakuzu cut him off yet again. This time, however, he nearly shoved his fist down Hidan's throat.

"My skills are mostly taijutsu. I have no need for knives or swords." Kakuzu let his gaze pierce into the man, purposely making him uncomfortable.

The man was shaken but still puffed out his chest. "I've never heard of bounty hunters who don't carry weapons - or any shinobi for that matter. You must be very unsuccessful at your  _expertise_." A snicker ran through the crowd. "Fine. Let's go, but I'm not making any promises that Oogura will see you."

~~~

They arrived at a large building just outside the town that was built into a cliff face. It was just the entrance that resembled anything like a structure; the rest of it was carved stone that opened up into a large cavern. The Crows had made an impressive hideout. The inside resembled a warehouse complete with small rooms along the walls. The windows on the false front let in enough natural light to illuminate a good portion of the main area while hanging lights powered by electricity lit up the rest. The beams and catwalks that made upper levels accessible were constructed with various materials but structurally sound for several people to hang around on, as was demonstrated by the curious onlookers above them.

Chatter and laughter was half drowned out by the sound of a television but the source of the noise was hidden behind a wall. What alarmed Kakuzu the most was the reek of alcohol. He himself didn't care much for the drink and the few occasions he did, it was never to get drunk. Alcohol is a poison that made strong men weak. It was something that shouldn't be so predominant if any group was to be successful.

They were led to a door to the right, which seemed to draw the attention of several people. More and more members came into view and watched and whispered curiously amongst themselves as Kakuzu and Hidan waited to be introduced. Hidan continued to look unimpressed and even bored of their escorts on the outside but Kakuzu could see the underlying torrent of emotions lurking beneath. 

That’s right – he had forgotten about Hidan’s fear of closed spaces. Shit. They couldn’t stay here much longer; Hidan was unpredictable now. He’d seen the panic set in back at their hideout: the trembling; the beginnings of hyperventilating; only managing to stop his fears from taking hold of him by escaping outside.

Then there were the nightmares. Almost every night he heard Hidan yell and cry in his sleep. Kakuzu had witnessed one too many times Hidan shock himself awake, clawing at his throat between gasps of air like he was suffocating. It was pitiful to watch.

"Hidan, why don't you wait outside? These talks tend to be tiresome."

"Huh? Wha..?" Hidan struggled to find the words. If he was at the point of stuttering then there wasn't much time left.

Kakuzu turned to the man who had escorted them. "That's not an issue, is it?"

"Of course not," he pretended. He motioned with his head back toward the way they had come. "Minemaru, Hara, go with him."

Hidan gave Kakuzu a look he couldn't quite read as he passed by. If Kakuzu had to guess, it was a mixture of relief and anger, both feelings fighting for dominance. Hidan can yell at him later; right now, he needed the situation to be in their favor, not against.

A man with short-cropped hair on the other side of the door finally allowed passage inside. Kakuzu followed in after his escort while another walked behind him and closed the door. Inside sat a man, whom he felt safe to assume was Oogura, and a woman who practically draped herself over him in a display that said, ‘he's mine.’

She was much more attractive than the man she sided up with. Her long, black hair was done up more for looks than practicality and she wore an outfit showing off her assets to match. She had on the perfect amount of makeup; clearly done by a skilled hand to bring out her blue eyes and lips, and enough gaudy jewelry to make her movements have a jingle to them.

Oogura, was well dressed as well, but not nearly as flashy. He looked more the part of a mob boss (without the gut of too many years of comfort) than the leader of a mercenary group. The scar that ran down the side of his face was genuine, but oddly enough suited him. His blonde hair was styled: shaved at the sides and the top was left long and parted to the side; it was a common hairstyle Kakuzu had seen in his recent travels.

"So, Wanabi, who's this?" Oogura inquired.

Wanabi, the man who had set the ambush and escorted Kakuzu, spoke, "This guy and his partner say they want to join us. Claims they're bounty hunters and thinks we need their skills."

"Partner? I only see one man. Where's the other one?"

"Outside," he paused, "sir."

Oogura leaned forward and folded his hands together. "Bounty hunters, eh? You're not here to collect me, are you?" He smiled mischievously at Kakuzu.

Vinaki Oogura. Ex-Hidden Stone. His name was listed in the bingo book, but the amount was so unimpressive Kakuzu could hardly recall how many decimal places it had.

"No, as your men stated, I am here seeking membership of your organization."

"You and your partner, that is," Oogura corrected him. Kakuzu affirmed. "Hmm," he pondered, like he was deep in thought. "Why all the," he motioned with his hand to indicate his face, "mask and head cover? Hiding something?"

He had prepared for questions on his covered appearance he just hadn’t expected them so soon. He wasn't too keen on sharing the real reason why-it'd probably end up scaring them off, so he lied. "I was badly scarred when tortured during my time in prison." Kakuzu pulled up a sleeve just high enough to reveal the tattoo green rings around his forearm. "Marking me wasn't good enough." He let his sleeve fall back down and awaited Oogura's response.

"Prison, huh?" He sounded curious. "What got you in there? And how did you get out, if you don't mind me asking?"

Kakuzu took a moment, making sure he chose carefully on what he said, but not too long of a pause that anyone grew suspicious. "I got caught stealing. And served my time."

Oogura wasn't convinced. Hell, Kakuzu was hardly convinced and it was his own lie. "Must have been something important to endure torture for it. Seems a bit... Too much." He sat back and waved his arm out wide. "So why bounty hunting? And why do you think we need you?"

Oogura certainly liked to jump topics and answering all of these questions was getting tedious. Akatsuki hardly asked anything. Then again, they sought him out for recruitment, not the other way around.

"It's hard to find work with a face like mine." That seemed to oddly satisfy Oogura. "And it turns out..." Kakuzu opened up his jacket and reached into an inside pocket. Wanabi and the two other men in the room tensed up and readied themselves with weapons. Kakuzu pulled out a wad of cash and dropped it onto the desk in front of him. "...I'm very good at it."

Oogura's eyes sparkled with greed. The others in the room watched as Oogura gingerly picked it up, trying not to seem too eager, and flipped through the bills. It was a hefty sum of two million ryo. Not as impressive as the amount Kakuzu had stashed away, but clearly enough to sway the minds of weaker men.

Oogura placed the money back in front of him but kept a watchful eye on it. The woman beside him squirmed as her eyes darted back and forth from Kakuzu to the stack of bills. "So you are," he gestured sounding impressed. "And this partner of yours? What about him?"

This was an easy one. "Hidan is an idiot and a loudmouthed one at that, but he's good at what he does."

There was a slight nod from Wanabi at the mention of Hidan. 

"Ah, where are my manners? We've done all this talk and yet I don't even properly know your name." Oogura watched him eagerly with a small smile on his face.

Should he lie and make up a name? They already knew Hidan's from saying it just a moment ago and yelling at him earlier. No, a false name would never last. Hidan would never be able to get it right.

"Kakuzu."

"Just 'Kakuzu?' And Hidan, was it?"

Kakuzu replied with a yes. 

"Alright then-" Oogura broke off as the woman began whispering in his ear. Whatever she said to him, he seemed to agree. He leaned back once more but this time he looked mischievous. "I have a test for you." 

A test? Is he serious? What had that woman told him?

"I have no knowledge in whether or not what you say is the truth. For all I know, you could have gotten this money elsewhere. If you are as good as you say you are, then prove it to me." 

Kakuzu held onto his composure as best he could. He could prove just how powerful he was right this second but he had gotten so far and almost had them in the palm of his hand. Ripping them all apart would just throw him back to square one.

"There's a man by the name of Fuuki Todomaki. He and his group are stationed in a town on the other side of the canyon. Bring me the ring he wears on his left hand and consider yourself a member of the Crows."

So now he's an errand boy? Kakuzu could already see that his temper wasn't going to last long with these people. "Very well." Kakuzu gestured at the two million ryo. As much as it pained him to do so, he said, "Consider this a gift for our future working together."

Oogura flashed his teeth, happy to accept Kakuzu's generosity. "I look forward to our partnership."


	15. Chapter 15

Hidan continued to glare at his two bodyguards in the hopes that one would lose their temper and come after him. At first, when they had arrived outside, they took their job seriously and watched Hidan like a pair of hawks but after some time they relaxed and began chatting about what they were doing tonight. It pissed him off how easily they brushed him aside like he was no threat to them. They couldn't be any more wrong.

And fuck Kakuzu for treating him like a child and sending him outside. 

Hidan buried his face in the crook of his arm. He wanted to be angry, he really did, but his racing heart, which had finally settled, wouldn't let him. The bird people's hideout was large and closely resembled a building, but it was still made out of a giant rock. Who's to say that rock won't give and crush them all alive? Being trapped under a giant boulder was worse than being buried under dirt and he had been slowly losing it while they were traversing deeper inside. 

Kakuzu must have sensed it otherwise he wouldn’t have cared if he were in that meeting. He'd managed to have only minor panic attacks around Kakuzu - ones that only lasted a minute. Those were the ones where he felt temporarily paralyzed but still aware of what's going on. Those were manageable and easy to brush off.

Kakuzu hadn't seen a bad one yet.

Still, angry as he might try to be, Hidan felt better being outside, even if he was under watchful eyes. 

Hidan sighed heavily and resumed his glaring. Kakuzu sure was taking his damn time.

Hn? Speak of the devil. The door to the hideout opened and Kakuzu emerged, followed by that asshole from earlier and one other. Hidan's two bodyguards had also turned their attention on them, ignoring the threat that had glowered at them so keenly.

Kakuzu walked past them, his own guards stopping to talk to the ones who were supposed to be watching Hidan, and stepped in front of Hidan. Kakuzu tossed something at him and Hidan caught it without hesitation. It was his spear-Kakuzu must have asked for it back.

"Get up, Hidan. We have a job to do," Kakuzu told him.

"Already?" Hidan stood up and brushed off the dirt from his behind. "We just got here."

"I'll explain on the way."

_On the way? Is he fucking serious?_  Hidan wanted to argue but stopped himself when he spotted the others watching. “Hmm...” Maybe he'll wait on giving Kakuzu an earful.

He caught Kakuzu casting a suspicious scowl at the birdbrains. He didn't like them? Then why were they doing a job for them? He followed after Kakuzu, making sure the others witnessed his disregard for them before leaving. The lead asshole saw it and twisted his face into a snarl. "Heeh, heeh," Hidan laughed aloud.

"Don't provoke them, Hidan," Kakuzu scolded.

"Hmph. They piss me off." Kakuzu agreed with a grunt. Hidan folded his arms behind his head and leaned back. "You piss me off too."

"The feeling's mutual."

Hidan growled under his breath in retaliation. "So what the fuck is this job anyways?"

"We have to find a man."

"Okay, but why? You're in there for half an hour and come out telling me we have work?" That's what angered him the most. They don't get a break or proper introductions to the team?

"They're testing us." He could sense Kakuzu getting impatient with him.

"If they knew who we really were then there's no need for a test," Hidan declared. 

"Well they don't. And it should stay that way. Besides, we are practically in - I had Oogura feeding from the palm of my hand but his woman said something to him that changed his mind." That last part came out as a growl. 

Hidan hung back a little. Kakuzu was unhappy and probably ready to kill and Hidan wasn't in the mood to get into a fight. 

"Woman, eh? So does it look like she's in charge and not actually that Ohga guy?"

"No,  _Oogura_  is in charge, for now. I don't think he has as much control over his men as he likes to think." Kakuzu seemed to have learned a lot more in that short amount of time than Hidan had first given him credit for. "As for the woman, I'm pretty sure she's just a pretty thing he likes to have around and spoil."

Hidan moaned in frustration. "So what you're saying is, if the little princess wants something we gotta do it?"

"Not at all. But if Oogura asks on her behalf, then yes."

"Tch! What a load of bull. Great choice by the way, Kakuzu. Can't wait to work with these assholes."

Kakuzu remained silent, probably stewing over the fact that he didn't like it either.  _Let him sulk. It's his fault we're in this mess anyways._

Hidan heaved a sigh of defeat. This was gonna suck more than working with Akatsuki.

~~~

_Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! FUCK! There's no way in_ HELL _I'm going in there!_ Hidan's head screamed. 

The two stood just outside the entrance to a tunnel that apparently cut through a canyon wall. It was a new route that reduced travel by days by letting travelers go through the canyon instead of around it. It was popular too. Several people had come and gone during the few minutes he and Kakuzu were standing there.

Not that that was important to Hidan. He could already feel his chest tightening just from staring into the gaping hole. Kakuzu was busy reading a map and planning their route to pay much attention to him. 

Hidan swallowed nervously. "H-hey," he stammered. "We don't have to go through that, do we?"

"Of course we do. It's the fastest route," Kakuzu responded matter-of-factly.

"How," god he was dreading this, "How long is it?"

Kakuzu folded up the map and tucked it away in an inside pocket. "A couple of kilometers."

_Kilometers?! Fuck that!_  This was it - his moment of defeat. There was no longer any hope left for Hidan. He could barely handle their hideout back in the Land of Water, how could he possibly hope to endure this?

At last, Kakuzu faced him. Hidan tried not to appear so terrified and focused on hating those judgmental green eyes of Kakuzu's.  _He knows! He_ knows  _I have a hard time underground, even if I never said so. He has to be doing this on purpose._

"You know, Hidan, you don't have to come along if you don't want to. I know how much you hate taking orders. Perhaps we should go our separate ways."

_This again._ Hidan rolled his eyes and sighed. "I don't know why you're so persistent on getting rid of me. You're not doing a very good job at it." 

"Then let's go." Kakuzu turned around and headed into the tunnel. 

Hidan, still trying to wrap his brain around entering a giant hole in the side of canyon, closed his eyes and steadied his breathing.  _Okay, I can do this. I won't be alone and there are tons of other people going in and out. It's not going to collapse._  He stepped forward trying his best to focus on Kakuzu, who had surprisingly stopped and waited not too far into the cavern. Hidan grimaced and forced himself to catch up. Without a word, Kakuzu resumed walking at an almost too slow of a pace for Hidan.

_God dammit. God dammit! God dammit!_

 ~~~

The lighting was fair in the tunnel; there was a mix of lanterns and electricity that illuminated most of it but the end wasn't in sight. The path curved and wound through the bedrock in what felt like a never-ending loop.

Hidan was sweating bullets. It had felt like an eternity since he and Kakuzu had trekked inside and the entrance was no longer in sight. He was struggling to remain calm and his tightening chest was making it harder to breathe. 

Closing his eyes only made Hidan feel worse so he kept them open despite not liking the view. But he could no longer focus on the people they passed by. Kakuzu was steadily becoming blurrier to his senses and their own footsteps sounded more like distant echoes.

He felt trapped.

The rock walls loomed over him and the tunnel began to feel narrower. By now Hidan was breathing heavily through his mouth and blood roared in his ears. His head was filled with such a loud white noise that he couldn't even hear his own thoughts.

And then...

_Clack!_  

The sound of something falling froze him in his tracks. All Hidan could hear was the tumble of the object hitting the floor. It’s sound reverberated between his ears. He focused so much on the noise he forgot to exhale.

The world spun and Hidan's knees buckled out from under him. He barely caught himself from slamming into the ground but his arms shook under the strain and threatened to give way. 

He couldn't breathe - air just wouldn't fill his lungs. Hidan gasped and coughed, choking on his own saliva. He tried to call out Kakuzu's name for help but it only came out as a wheezy gurgle. 

Someone dragged him to the wall and said something but Hidan couldn't make out what it was. His eyes wouldn't focus on the person in front of him but he was pretty sure it was Kakuzu.

Hidan clutched at his chest. It felt like his heart was going to explode it was beating so fast. He clawed at the air.  _Help me! Kakuzu, it hurts!_  

The figure stepped further away. 

_Please, Jashin-sama!_

There was an unbearable ringing in his ears.

His lungs burned.

Hidan was terrified.

The world tilted sideways and he felt cold. The blurry Kakuzu stepped farther away. 

His vision was growing dark.

It felt like knives were piercing his chest.

_I can't... I don't want to die!_

The ringing grew louder and blocked all other sound. 

And then…

Blackness.


	16. Chapter 16

Kakuzu walked through the Kiretsu Passage, suitcase in hand. In it he carried the ring Oogura had wanted and the cash Fuuki Todomaki’s body fetched. It wasn't much but it'd do for now.

For a test of his abilities, it wasn't much of one. It was probably best that Oogura and the rest of the Crows didn't know his true strengths just in case things went south. He hadn’t even needed Hidan for this.

Hidan… He frowned at the thought of him. He'd left Hidan, the man he'd once called his partner, in this very tunnel because he was just extra baggage. Hidan had finally had a large enough and debilitating panic attack in the middle of their travels that Kakuzu saw nothing of his former comrade left. It was a pathetic display and Kakuzu held no shame in abandoning Hidan right then and there. He was of no use if he crumpled over the littlest things.

Or so Kakuzu tried to convince himself. A small part of him, a very small part, had felt pity for Hidan. The way he was choking for air had been disturbing and all Kakuzu had done was move him out of the way of others. He had disregarded the hand that had reached for him and turned his back on the very person who had brought him back from death.

"Tch!"  _Who's the more pathetic one?_  he nearly said aloud.

The few people he passed now we're beginning to behave the same. Apparently some phenomenon further in was drawing attention and disturbing the peace. Kakuzu was curious, but not curious enough to care until a pair of young girls passed by talking about how creepy the 'homeless guy' was acting.

Kakuzu thought on it. It wasn't a terrible place for beggars. With enough foot traffic someone was bound to make a quick buck or two. But this panhandler must not be doing a well enough job if he was scaring off everyone.

He soon found the source of the commotion and immediately regretted taking this path.

Hidan sat huddled facing the wall, mumbling to himself and carving the symbol of Jashin with his spear. He kept repeating his god's name, completely unaware of everything else around him, and toiled away at the bedrock.

Kakuzu was honestly surprised. It had been almost a full twenty-four hours since he'd discarded Hidan and, though he had expected to run into him either at the Crow's hideout or at some point along the road, he hadn't thought he'd still be where he had left him. 

Kakuzu checked if anyone was nearby before approaching Hidan. Even if he didn't like him he couldn't leave him in this state. His mind must be gone if he can't get out of this tunnel.

Hidan sat in his own filth, reeking of urine and blood. A badly drawn ring of red surrounded him signifying his infamous sacrificial circle needed for his curse. It must be his own blood because Kakuzu couldn't find any evidence of a victim.

Now Kakuzu actually felt remorse for Hidan. This wasn't the man he'd killed with anymore. Not the Hidan he’d battled alongside against shinobi and jinchuriki alike.

"Hidan," he spoke up.

Hidan flinched and froze for a moment before resuming his mumbling.

Kakuzu sighed. Best-case scenario, he would have to drag Hidan out of the passage. Kakuzu put a hand on Hidan's shoulder and spoke his name again.

_Shit!_

He was too slow. Kakuzu leaped back as Hidan whirled around and slashed at Kakuzu but not before the spear scraped his skin. Bloodshot eyes stared at something Kakuzu couldn’t see and Hidan appeared like he was in a trance. Then through clenched teeth, that high-pitched cackle broke the silence. He licked the blood off the tip and seemed to savor it. Pale skin turned black and white in a familiar abstract skeleton pattern as the curse took place.

_Shit! Shit! Shit!_  Kakuzu undid the threads in his arms as he charged forward.  _I'm not going to make it!_  

Hidan's maniacal laugh was paired with wild eyes as he raised his spear. "I'll kill you!" he screamed. "I'll fucking kill you!" He brought the spear down and pierced his chest, his voice catching at the pain before he resumed laughing.

Kakuzu collapsed, clutching for his heart. Hidan hadn’t played around like he usually did - he just went straight for the kill.

Kakuzu coughed and wheezed through the agony. This was the first heart he'd lost since coming back from the dead and the pain was unbearable. He struggled to look at Hidan. Kakuzu's body wasn't used to experiencing death yet. Replacing the dead heart was going to take too long to give him a fighting chance; he was at this ruthless man's mercy. Hidan could finish him off in just a couple of well placed hits or just curse him repeatedly until he ran out of hearts.

He couldn't move but he watched Hidan look up at the ceiling and pull out the spear. He still laughed between heavy breaths but the wicked smile on his face dissipated the longer he stared upwards. Then the cackling picked up again but this time it was different. The spear clattered to the stone floor and Hidan backed himself into the wall. His nails dug into the stone until they bled and the laugh turned into sobbing.

Kakuzu watched Hidan crumple onto the floor looking panicked. His own vision was beginning to fade but he was sure he heard Hidan call out his name.

 

_Bu-bump!_

 

...

 

_Bu-bump!_

 

...zu!

 

_Bu-bump!_

 

"Kakuzu! You can't!"

 

_Bu-bump!_

 

Kakuzu gasped for air and then coughed as he choked on his own saliva. He propped himself on his elbows, still hacking like he had just come back from drowning. Hidan was yelling at him - something about how he wasn't allowed to die yet. Kakuzu wheezed and tried clearing his throat. The newer heart was beating fast, letting him know he was alive. Eyes half-lidded, he looked around for Hidan and found him still against the wall. He was yelling between sobs, half telling Kakuzu to not die, half telling him to get him out of this hellhole.

Kakuzu got to his knees. He couldn't have been out for long but he still worried someone might interfere. But judging by the rushed footsteps of the few who passed by, it seemed everyone else didn't want to be involved.

Kakuzu stood up and stumbled over to Hidan. Hidan was hyperventilating and wildly looking around seeming to have finally become aware of where he was. Kakuzu groaned, as the wound in his chest still ached and took its time sewing up.

"I-I-I-I need t-to get-t ou-out," Hidan stuttered between short breaths. His hand flew to his chest and clutched the shirt like his life depended on it. 

Kakuzu reached forward, prepared to drag Hidan if he had to. 

"Don't touch me!" Hidan's bloodshot eyes flashed anger as he smacked Kakuzu's hand away. But it only lasted a second before he doubled over and fought for air.

Angry, Kakuzu struck the back of Hidan's head. The blow knocked him unconscious and sent Hidan face first into the ground. Kakuzu sighed. "Honestly, Hidan, one of these days I will find a way to kill you and end your suffering." Kakuzu picked up Hidan's spear and tucked it away in his jacket and then lifted Hidan's limp body and swung him over a shoulder. He was surprisingly light for dead weight but his odor made Kakuzu nearly throw him back onto the ground. He picked up the suitcase containing his mission spoils and adjusted Hidan more comfortably on his shoulder.

He glanced back at the symbols surrounding the puddle of blood. He was going to have to return and hide the evidence if he was going to continue living as a free man.

Kakuzu did his best to ignore the stares and astonished faces of those he passed but he couldn't help meeting some eyes and glaring back. No one stopped him or made any comment to his face but it was definitely drawing attention.

Kakuzu quickened his pace. If anyone recognized them he was going to place the full blame on Hidan. Kakuzu counted them lucky for now that Takigakure and Yugakure are on the other side of the continent else they may have been in some serious trouble.

~~~

Hidan awoke slowly and moaned. It was bright and colorful wherever he was though his eyes wouldn’t focus on the finer details. He rolled onto his stomach and cradled his head in his hands. For some reason his head was throbbing.

Hidan shot up with a small sharp breath as his memories caught up but his surroundings lagged around him. Dizzy, Hidan flopped back onto the ground and waited for the world to stop spinning.

He slowly sat up on his second attempt and blinked the blurriness away. Trees loomed overhead and the sunlight that speckled the ground danced with the cool breeze. A small stream bubbled softly a few meters away and carried with it a small family of ducks. He was outside, but how-

Hidan's thoughts ended abruptly when he spotted Kakuzu sitting and half hidden behind a tree. Hidan frowned as he tried to recall how they had ended up here. He remembered entering the tunnel, then thinking it was going to collapse and... Fuck... He had a panic attack - a large one too. After that it was bits and pieces. He was pretty sure he'd blacked out but was vaguely aware of coming to at some point and still inside the tunnel. Only, Kakuzu was gone. _That's right. That piece of shit just left me behind. Wait_ -Hidan contemplated. _Kakuzu had left, but he had come back, right? After I- Shit!_ Hidan quickly patted his chest and found the hole in his shirt and right behind it the residual mark of a fading scar. He watched Kakuzu as his memories realigned themselves. _I was so pissed and fucked outta my mind I cursed Kakuzu. How the fuck am I still in one piece?_

Hidan stumbled onto his feet. _Or is that someone else?_ Unsteadily, Hidan shuffled over to Kakuzu. With arms crossed and a permanent scowl knitting his eyebrows together, the man certainly looked like Kakuzu.

"Err-" Hidan started as Kakuzu's eyes lifted open. They focused hard on Hidan as if to say, 'What are you looking at?'

Those green eyes hid away as Kakuzu spoke up, "Go wash up, Hidan. You reek."

_Really? That's the first thing you're going to say to me?_ Before he could argue back, he caught a whiff of a sour odor. Hidan nonchalantly gave himself a sniff and wrinkled his nose in disgust. _Shit, I smell like a toilet._

Hidan spun on his heels and looked at the tiny stream. It wasn't the best place to bathe but knowing Kakuzu it was probably the only stream close by. Hidan began to strip, trying his best not to look back at Kakuzu. Being naked in front of others didn't bother him and neither did being watched but he hated the idea that he was following orders. Had it just been the blood and dirt he'd tell Kakuzu to fuck off, but to his embarrassment, the stench of piss was a little too distinct to conserve his pride.

_God dammit_ , Hidan cursed. The water was hardly deep enough to sit in, just shy of his knees and was flowing so slowly he couldn't have the current do half the work.   
“...!” He sat down into the water and nearly let out a shriek as the chilly water hit his groin. Cold water really knew how to emasculate a man.

Hidan sulked as he started dunking his clothing and silently blamed Kakuzu for his soiled pants. His time spent in the tunnel must have been for hours for him to have lost control of his bladder. Not only that, but Kakuzu had left him behind in that pitiful state just because he could. But what drove Hidan mad with curiosity was to why Kakuzu had come back for him. He had finally obtained the chance to disappear and leave him like he'd always threatened and yet here they were, together again. Did Kakuzu find out that he's a worthless fighter without Hidan?

Peeking from the corner of his eye, he watched Kakuzu. The man certainly didn't look like he had been in a fight. His clothing was still intact and clearly the heart Hidan had killed off wasn't his last spare.

Maybe he couldn't bring himself to abandon Hidan after all. Kakuzu did always have this chivalrous personality when it came to owing others and he did owe Hidan his life. But it’s so difficult to tell what Kakuzu is thinking other than when he's pissed.

Hidan, letting his clothing bake in the sun, cupped handful after handful onto himself to remove the blood and dirt that dyed his skin. He was prepared to tell Kakuzu to fuck off and take a nap while he waited, knowing how short tempered and impatient the miser was, but to his disbelief, Kakuzu remained silent. Hidan grumbled and looked at his hands in the water. At this point he was just stalling for time so he didn't have to walk in wet clothes.

“Ah, fuck it,” Hidan told himself. He stood up and slipped on his underwear. With his spear in hand (which he had found conveniently beside Kakuzu) he approached the man, who continued to ignore him, and held it to his _partner’s_ throat. “Give me a good reason why I shouldn't kill you.”

Kakuzu’s emerald gaze fixed on him. Hidan could see the challenge in those eyes, daring him to make a move. And by Jashin he was tempted.

“I got you out of that tunnel.” He said it like he'd done Hidan a service.

Hidan clenched his teeth. “Bullshit. You're the reason I was in there to begin with _and_ you left me behind because that's what you wanted. That's what you've always wanted. You've been trying to get rid of me since you cast that ugly jutsu on yourself.” His grip on the spear tightened as he finally said what had been bothering him for weeks.

“Perhaps you should have told me you don't do well in closed spaces instead of hiding your weakness-”

“Shut up!” Hidan snapped back before Kakuzu could finish what he was saying. He didn't have to - Hidan knew when he was going to twist the situation against him. “Just shut your damn hole! You knew. I know you did because you never pushed me into these situations you just accepted that I didn't want to go in. Don't bullshit me that I never told you because you're smarter than that.” He lowered the spear some and placed his free hand on his chest. Now that the words were flowing he couldn't stop them. “You think I _like_ that I can't handle being underground? Do you think it's fun for me to feel like I'm suffocating? That I feel like I'm about to die? I fucking hate it!” He raised the spear back to Kakuzu. “Fuck you for just leaving me there. I know you're a real dick but you didn't have to have to- Hrmm… You deserved me taking a heart.” He almost let slip that he had felt abandoned. God, he'd never hear the end of that if he did.

Kakuzu remained silently staring. Hidan could swear he had caught a hint of surprise in his expression but other than his eyes being the only part of his stupid face visible, it was hard to tell.

“What? Got nothing to say?” He kept the spear aimed at him even as Kakuzu got up.

“No, you're not wrong, Hidan. You had a panic attack and I left you behind. There's no denying that.” Kakuzu rolled his shoulder and stretched a bit, completely ignoring the spear still aimed at him. “However, you're a man and should face your fears like one. I'm not going to baby you over every little thing.” He picked up a suitcase Hidan hadn't noticed before and then turned to look at him. “Get dressed so we can get going.”

Hidan had expected Kakuzu to brush him off but he hadn't seen the insult to his manhood. His pride was wounded. “Fuck you. What makes you think I'm going back to those shit-for-brain assholes? To hell with it, I should just take another heart of yours.” He readied himself to strike.

“Oh?” Kakuzu didn't sound threatened. “I must say, I was surprised you didn't finish me off in the passageway when you had the chance.” Kakuzu watched him for a moment. “How about we call things even?”

“Ha? Even? The fuck are you talking about?” That was such a shock to Hidan he completely lost his edge and gave Kakuzu the opening he needed. A hoarse yelp of surprise escaped him as fingers dug into his neck. He lost the spear in his confusion and felt himself leave the ground for a moment before slamming into a tree.

Kakuzu approached, releasing his hold on Hidan and retracting his arm. “You've taken two hearts from me now, three if you count the one when we first met. I haven't forgotten the one you were tricked into sacrificing and costing me my battle with Kakashi Hatake.”

“Ah-well…” Shit, Kakuzu had him there. “Wait, you're holding a grudge over that? If I recall, they took _your_ blood to pull that off, so you can take part of that blame.” Hidan rubbed his throat to ease the pain and stood up. “I wouldn't exactly call us ‘even.’ You're alive right now, aren't ya?” He glared at Kakuzu, daring him to rise to the challenge.

“Tch,” Kakuzu swung his head to the side to avoid looking at him. “I’m done arguing. Get dressed before I change my mind and just leave without you.”

_Wait, wait, wait... Did I just win an argument?_ Baffled, Hidan's face dropped. Kakuzu was giving up this quickly?

He hurriedly got dressed and grabbed his spear on his way over to Kakuzu. “So did you only come back to get me because you owe me?” He was curious on how much leverage he had over Kakuzu if this were true.

“Don't be ridiculous. I had thought you'd have run off by the time I returned. But since you hadn't, well, I can't risk you being noticed or captured.” His eyes bored into Hidan telling him that he thought of him as more of a burden than friend.

Not letting it get to him, Hidan replied, “Heh, you can pretend to be selfish all you want but I know you, Kakuzu. You owe me more than a heart or two and that's just eating you up inside.” Hidan grinned as the two walked through the sparse woods. “I know you hate being indebted to people for anything but you do have some morals, even if you're a prick.” He watched Kakuzu for a reaction. “And you're not getting rid of me so easily,” he added.

“It would appear so,” Kakuzu mumbled more to himself than to Hidan.

Hidan's grin faded. This victory wasn't as pleasant as it had initially felt and he was still angry with both himself and Kakuzu. Hidan never wanted to fully acknowledge his fears, especially to his old partner, but reality certainly punched him in the gut today.

Or yesterday… Hidan still wasn't clear on how long he had been in that tunnel. _Long enough for Kakuzu to complete the mission on his own,_ Hidan thought to himself as he eyed the metal briefcase.

He simmered silently behind his arrogant partner, imagining the different ways to kill him. _One of these days, Kakuzu,_ I’ll _be the one to kill you. You’ll be the greatest sacrifice to Jashin-sama. He's only tasted you with every passing heart. Next time, I’ll make sure you're sent to him permanently._


	17. Chapter 17

Hidan shifted restlessly next to him as they waited for Oogura in his office. Kakuzu hadn't expected a warm welcome from the members of the Crows but the fact that he and Hidan were met with open hostility gave him doubts about joining.

He fully expected to be stabbed in the back, both literally and figuratively, and had shared his concerns with Hidan on the return journey. However, Hidan was still angry with him, in which Kakuzu couldn't fault him on, and was hardly helpful. His partner just repeated himself over and over on how all of this was just a giant waste of time and they should just kill them all now before they try anything later.

Hidan wasn't wrong, but that didn't make him right either. Kakuzu planned on using the Crows as much as he could until a better opportunity arose - he just didn't let Hidan in on that tidbit of information.

Finally, Oogura entered followed by the woman from the other day (whom today was more skimpily dressed). She sat down on the couch at the back of the room while Oogura took his seat at the desk. He motioned to Kakuzu and Hidan and then to himself. “Well, we weren't sure if you were coming back but, here you are, earlier than expected. I hope you aren't disappointing me by being empty handed.” He gave a sleazy smile that made Hidan fidget in disgust.

Kakuzu tapped Hidan with his foot as he stepped forward to remind him to behave. There was a small grumble but he crossed his arms and brooded in silence. Kakuzu placed the case on the desk, flicked open the latches, and lifted the lid. “Of course not. I believe you'll find yourself more than satisfied.” First priority was the ring. He placed it on the table in front of him and the woman quickly snatched it up (having left the couch while he was opening the case).

She rolled it around between her fingers and studied it before placing it on her thumb. “This is it,” she said in a rather alluring voice.

Oogura motioned for her to sit and she took her place on his lap. She held out her hand that now adorned the ring and let them gaze at it together.

Kakuzu began losing his patience with waiting on the two to stop ogling each other and spun the case around. “You may also be interested in the sum his body fetched.” He opened it while it faced Oogura and smirked (not that anyone could see behind his mask) as Oogura's eyes shined with greed.

But then Oogura caught himself, and his attitude quickly changed. “His body?” He questioned. “I don't recall asking for you to kill him.”

Shit. Kakuzu had gotten overzealous and had, more or less, killed Fuuki Todomaki in trying to acquire the ring. Hidan clicked his tongue behind him, upset more with Oogura than Kakuzu completing the mission without him.

“No, baby, it's okay,” the woman cooed. “I’m happy that bastard is dead.” She smiled sweetly at Kakuzu. “You've done us a great service.”

Oogura looked happy only because she was happy. He reached forward, Kakuzu could see the temptation to run his fingers through the bills, and closed the case. “Well, you've proven yourself. Congratulations,” he said as he slid a pair of identical crow patches across the table. “You are now members of the Crows. I’ll have more assignments for you soon.” He ushered them towards the door. “In the meantime, get to know the others, find a place to live, do whatever you like.”

Kakuzu grabbed the patches. “Yes, we'll be on our way.” Kakuzu looked back at Hidan and motioned with his head for him to follow. Surprisingly, Hidan obeyed and had remained calm through everything. Perhaps he wasn't completely useless.

~~~

Kakuzu and Hidan continued to receive hostile glares from a few members on their way through the town of Ganban. Hidan grumbled and was itching to start a fight while they walked in search of a place to stay. Kakuzu didn't have to restrain him, Hidan was smart enough to keep himself in check, but he wasn’t happy.

“I swear Kakuzu, if one of those dickheads wants to start something, don't expect me to back down,” Hidan proudly repeated.

“Try to tolerate it,” Kakuzu answered. He stopped outside a motel and sized it up. Hidan stopped only after realizing Kakuzu was no longer walking behind him and looked back to scoff in revulsion. “Can't we stay somewhere better?”

Kakuzu turned to him. Sarcastically, he responded, “Do you see any better options?”

Hidan pretended to look around but ultimately pouted in an unhappy defeat. “This town sucks. There's nothing here, the food is terrible and this shitty bird group you dragged us into is full of cunts.”

“Hidan! Keep that to yourself!” For fuck’s sake, he was getting tired of Hidan’s instigating. Kakuzu sighed and entered the motel, Hidan on his heels. “If it comes to a fight, then we’ll fight, but I don't want you to start it.” Ignoring Hidan's protest he turned to the man at the counter. “One room, two beds, just for tonight.”

“What? I can't even have my own room?” Hidan argued as the clerk set about the fees.

“When have I ever- Tsk. You could just sleep outside.”

“Er-hmmm… Fine. We’ll share a room,” Hidan conceded.

_Like you had a choice,_ Kakuzu nearly said aloud. He exchanged the money for the room key and headed for the stairs with Hidan reluctantly on his tail.

Once inside their room, Hidan further complained about the musty smell and the room’s overall poor taste. It wasn't like Kakuzu needed a live narration of everything he himself could see but at least Hidan had stopped bad mouthing the Crows.

Hidan flopped onto one of the beds. “Well, it's not the worst place we’ve stayed at,” he announced. He continued to stretch and yawn like a cat and rolled around trying to get comfortable.

Kakuzu peeled off his jacket revealing his back adorned with three of the element masks. Thanks to Hidan's half-crazed attack, the water mask’s heart had been used to replenish the dead one. He was going to have to replace it soon.

He was aware of Hidan watching him, who had finally settled down lying on his stomach. He lay on the opposite end of the bed, his chin resting on his arms with a frown on his face. “You only rented the room for one night. Did I miss something? I don't remember the Ohga guy talking about any missions.”

“ _Oogura_. Get it right,” Kakuzi reprimanded. “And no, we have an errand to run tomorrow.” He continued to undress and neatly fold his clothes as he prepared for his bath.

“Tsk! I’ll call him whatever the fuck I wanna call him,” Hidan retorted. After a pause, he asked, “What errand?”

“I ordered something a couple of weeks ago. It should be ready.” Kakuzu stepped into the bathroom, wearing only his pants and mask. “We’ll be waking up early, so get some sleep,” he ordered and then closed the door behind him.

“Would it kill you to sleep in for once?” he heard Hidan yell back.

Kakuzu sighed and pulled off his mask and headdress allowing his nearly shoulder-length hair to escape and cascade downwards. He stared at his reflection and massaged his cheek. Kakuzu felt exhausted. He gripped the edges of the grimy sink and locked his elbows so he could lean into it.

He even looked tired. How much time did he have left before Hidan killed him? The thought haunted him. It had only been luck and Hidan's good grace that had kept him alive this long. And it was Hidan that had even brought life back to him all of those months ago.

And it will be Hidan that ends him. It was only a matter of when and where.

Kakuzu sighed again, this time to relieve the knot in the pit of his stomach than to ease the aggravation that came with being around Hidan. For the first time since his rebirth, he felt old. The world had only aged twenty years and yet it felt like a completely different era. The bingo book was filled with unfamiliar faces, technology had advanced to the point that it angered him, and electricity reached even the most isolated of towns. Even this rundown motel had amenities he wouldn't have normally expected. Kakuzu had long since outlived a normal lifespan and he was finding it difficult to adapt.

More could be said of Hidan. His partner was so easygoing and had no problem with using the current technology. Then again, Hidan was younger - much younger so it made sense that he could acclimate faster.

But that left a sour taste in Kakuzu's mouth. His grip tightened as he restrained himself from punching the mirror. He felt like he didn't belong in this world anymore and that upset him. His pride was wounded and he felt alone - which was odd, for he usually craved isolation.

He may have tried to be rid of Hidan but a part of him was relieved to have him back. It helped him know that Hidan was so afraid of being abandoned either by him or his god that he went so far as to bring Kakuzu back to the living. Kakuzu latched onto that neediness to tie Hidan to him and yet, Kakuzu feared the opposite. That Hidan would decide that he no longer wanted him and would end him or just disappear. It disgusted Kakuzu to think he needed Hidan. He's never needed anyone but for some damned reason, he couldn't get rid of his idiot of a partner.

Like a wound that never healed properly, Hidan and Kakuzu seemed to be fated to be in each other's lives.

_And I hate that._


	18. Chapter 18

Kakuzu rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he sat at the edge of the mattress. The digital clock between the beds read 5:37 A.M. and the sun was hardly peeking above the horizon. Even the insects still hummed their nightly songs. Kakuzu sighed. He really wanted to go back to bed.

Hidan had tossed and turned all night with an occasional moan or whimper that had been loud enough to alert Kakuzu in his own sleep. Even now, in the safety of a room with windows, Hidan was still gripped with nightmares.

Kakuzu massaged the back of his neck. His body longed for a full night of rest but that was something he could only achieve in his dreams. Hidan moaned yet again as if to remind him.

He sighed as he rose off the bed and headed into the bathroom. Exhausted as he was, Kakuzu started up the sink and pulled off his headdress and mask (having slept in it like he usually did) and washed his face, enjoying the brisk water as it woke him up.

Hair slicked back, Kakuzu watched the image that stared back. His eyes said he was old, experience lying deep within their depths, but outside of the stitches, his skin was flawless. Young. Not as youthful as he looked before he had cast the Earth Grudge Fear, but young. This wasn’t him, and yet, it was.

But a different body didn’t hide the monster underneath.

Kakuzu grabbed a towel and dried himself off; now wasn’t the time to be self-loathing. He quickly redressed himself and ventured back into the room where he needed to awaken his partner. Standing over Hidan, he watched him for a moment. The man looked tormented in his sleep and Kakuzu couldn’t ever envy him. He may have died but twenty years of imprisonment was a far worse punishment.

“Get up, Hidan,” he said as he kicked the bed. Startled, Hidan yelped only to groan in frustration at seeing Kakuzu.

Hidan flopped back onto the bed and hid under the blankets. “Mmmmmnn… The sun’s not even out yet,” he whined. “Let me go back to sleep.”

Kakuzu grit his teeth. _I’d hardly call what you do every night ‘sleep.’_ He kicked Hidan out of the bed. “Get up!”

“Uwah!” Hidan thudded onto the floor. “Ow…” Hidan pulled off the covers and glared at Kakuzu. “What the hell was that for?”

“I told you we had an early day,” he stated. They may have been apart for twenty years but some things never changed. “Now get up. Wash your face; do your hair, whatever. But get up!”

“ _Yes, mom,_ ” Hidan retorted. Kakuzu chucked a pillow. “Ow! I’m getting up! Fucking…” Hidan continued to mumble under his breath as he stalked into the bathroom.

_I certainly don’t act motherly but clearly I’m the only adult around here._ Kakuzu pinched the bridge of his nose. _It’s too damn early to be getting into a fight._

Knowing Hidan’s personal grooming took far longer than any man should spend on themselves, he began packing up their belongings and making the beds to consume the time while he waited. They didn’t have much - a set of spare clothing each, his bingo book, a few wads of cash and Hidan’s spear.

He hesitated as he went to grab the patches they had been given by Oogura. At some point, they were going to have to be sewn onto something. Kakuzu didn’t want to raise suspicion amongst the members but he didn’t want to be associated with trash like them either. He sighed and pocketed them for now. _I’ll bother with these another day._

He glanced around. He was out of things to do and he had taken his time too. Kakuzu pounded on the bathroom door. “Hurry up, Hidan!”

~~~

“Haven't we been here before?” Hidan asked.

The market streets were bustling with people buying and selling, a lot of it cheap trinkets and food. Kakuzu kept a close eye on Hidan to make sure he didn't wander or get distracted. The reason the two were here was more for him, although, the idiot didn't know that as of yet.

“I told you we’re here to pick up an order.” Kakuzu should have Hidan's head checked because clearly this moron was suffering from short-term memory loss.

“Yeah, yeah,” Hidan brushed off. “Hn?” Hidan stopped so suddenly he had to use his momentum to turn. “Oi, Kakuzu, give me some money while you go do your thing.” He stooped over a concession stand selling sweets that a half dozen of other people were bargaining at.

Kakuzu controlled himself. In another town he would have dragged Hidan by the throat. “No. Now let's go,” he commanded.

Hidan scowled.

“Now, Hidan!” He felt like he was yelling at a disobedient dog.

“Tsk!” Hidan quietly snarled as he broke away from the crowd and followed in line.

As Kakuzu steered Hidan to a less busy side of town, he couldn't help but wonder if it was all worth it: the trouble that came with Hidan, that is. He was brash, a loudmouth, and impatient in everything non-religious. It was a miracle in itself no one had put him in the ground before Shikamaru Nara had. Skilled as he is, he was a limited fighter. His only advantage is his inability to die.

Kakuzu rounded the corner and headed for the small brick building with smoke billowing out from it. Hidan continued to mope even at the stand as Kakuzu waited for the older man he had spoken with weeks ago.

Dorma Gou was a blacksmith who, from what Kakuzu had gathered, specialized in making weapons and came highly recommended. The graying man spotted Kakuzu and approached while wiping his sooty hand on a stained rag. “Gentlemen, what can I do for you?”

Kakuzu pulled out a folded slip of paper. “I’m here for something I ordered a few weeks ago.

Gou squinted as he tried to read. The short but bulky man had been aged double from working with fire and his tanned skin was tight around the eyes. “Ah yes!” he yelled rather excitedly. He told Kakuzu to hold on while he ran back into the shed. “It's not every day that I get to make something so unique,” Gou said as he came back out. He carried, what Kakuzu could only guess was his order, a thin item rolled inside of a blanket. Metal clanged as he placed it onto the table. “I put a lot of thought into this,” he continued as he unfolded. “The specifications you requested are still there: the triple blades and the wire hookup,” he said as he pointed out the details, “but the blade angle bothered me. There was no protection so,” he twisted the handle and the three blades sprung out from their folded position. “I made it retractable.” He tried handing it to Kakuzu. “What do you think?”

Kakuzu stared at it for a moment and then turned to Hidan, who was wandering around in the street. “Hidan, get over here.” He could practically hear Hidan moan at being ordered.

“What?”

“Try this out,” he indicated to the weapon in Gou’s hand.

Hidan eyed Kakuzu suspiciously as he shuffled over. “What is it-” Hidan’s face lifted in surprise. “A scythe?” He seized the weapon and held it close, a broad smile widening across his face as he turned to Kakuzu. “Is this mine?” he asked excitedly.

“How does it feel?”

Hidan swung it around a few times. “It's great!” He tossed it from hand to hand, spun it, and balanced it in his favorite positions. As he admired the scythe he noticed the small button on the handle and pointed at it. “What's this for?”

“Ah,” Gou said as if charmed. He walked around his stand and held out his hand. Hidan hesitated in letting his new weapon go but surrendered it anyways. “You press this in,” Gou demonstrated, “and twist and push the bottom half of the handle until you hear the click.” It was a short twist as the blades collapsed and the handle shortened to half its length. The click the smith had mentioned sounded a second later.

“Now to undo it,” he continued, “click the button, which is now up here,” he showed Hidan its new location on the opposite side of the blades. Gou stepped back as he further instructed. “Twist in the other direction and, well, basically just let it go.” The scythe extended at lightning speed and was back to its normal deadly position. He passed it back to Hidan, who didn't seem all that impressed.

Kakuzu wasn't either. It wasn't exactly what he had ordered but if it got the job done he couldn't complain. “Hidan,” Kakuzu called out to him. “Go test its strength on one of those trees over there.” He indicated to the trees where the town ended and forest began. “I’m not paying for shoddy workmanship.”

Hidan gave an okay and headed to the tree line.

“I assure you, the blade will work better then expected,” Gou tried to explain.

“You gave it a fancy mechanism that I’m sure will cost me extra.” He looked down on the master smith. “It can stay open for all I care. I just don't want it breaking.”

Gou seemed offended. “I used the strongest of steels for that handle. I believe you mentioned, and I quote” he pulled out a notepad and flipped through the pages, “a weapon ‘capable of withstanding giant rocks crushing it,’ and a ‘haphazard idiot for a wielder.’” He looked smug as he put his notepad away. “It’s going to take a lot of abuse before that scythe needs to be replaced.” Hands on hips, Gou turned his attention to Hidan, who was hacking away at the trees, and frowned. “I thought that ‘idiot’ remark was a bit harsh, but,” Kakuzu turned to watch as well as Gou paused in thought. “But, well, that is a _two_ handed weapon.”

“Hnnn… He’s surprisingly more skilled than he let's on.” Kakuzu let his thoughts slip. _Great, now I'm praising him._

However, Gou wasn’t persuaded. “Right, well, it's light enough to be swung around with one arm, but it's not meant to be.” He threw his hands up. “But, that is none of my concern.” He left Kakuzu and returned to his stand.

“Hidan!” Kakuzu yelled. Hidan stopped his movements and looked back at him. “That's enough. Come back.” Kakuzu returned his attention to Gou while he waited on his partner.

“It's not dented or cracked,” Hidan announced as he jogged over. He talked excitedly and huffed a little here and there as he caught his breath. “The blade's sharp and I like the balancing of it.” He spun it around as if to prove its worth. “So can I keep it? It’s mine right?” Hidan’s eyes were sparkling with joy like a child with a new toy.

Who was Kakuzu kidding? That's exactly what Hidan was. “Yes,” he confirmed. “You're useless without it.”

Hidan beamed a smile. “You know what, I’m not even mad. Say whatever the hell you want because I don't care.” He held up the scythe. “It's even the same colors as my old one!” He chuckled to himself and half-skipped away.

Kakuzu grumbled as he pulled out his money. Gou had indiscreetly passed him a note with how much the scythe cost and Kakuzu wanted to reach over and smash the man's face into the wooden stand. He only partially blamed himself for not being more specific but the smith had taken the extra liberties to make it more expensive.

Kakuzi sighed inwardly. Hidan better take care of it because he wasn't getting another one.

~~~

Much to Kakuzu's annoyance, Hidan hummed and chuckled to himself their entire trip back to the town the Crows were stationed near. Kakuzu yelled at him for ‘playing around’ with his new scythe but Hidan rebutted that he was ‘practicing’.

He really did like it, the scythe that is. It was the best gift Kakuzu could have given him though he used ‘gift’ loosely. He was waiting for the moment Kakuzu used the cost of it against him but so far he hadn't made any mention of it.

But Jashin be damned he was happy and he couldn't wait to try it out. Kakuzu had even been generous enough to get him a cable to attach to the bottom ring. _Man, I'm so pumped! I can't wait to use it on someone!_

Kakuzu called out to him with an underlying anger in his tone. Hidan had lagged behind after being distracted testing the blade’s sharpness on the local growth. He placed it on his back, where it magnetized to the coil casing, and sprung back to the path. He jogged over with a slight skip in his step and hurried excitedly to Kakuzu.

“Hey, when’s our next mission or bounty or whatever?” He had passed Kakuzu and was now walking backwards.

“Why? Do you have something planned?” Sarcastic or not, for a change it was nice to have Kakuzu have a conversation and not just yell at him.

Hidan grinned. “I’m dying to kill someone!” He emphasized his need with his hands and fell in beside his partner. “I’m up for anything as long as I get to slaughter someone!”

“It's not up to me. You’ll have to ask our employer,” Kakuzu responded.

“Fuck that! That asshole only cares about money and hardly paid any attention to us. He was all over that bitch and she was all over him. I mean, she's hot so I get it but for fucks sake, get a room.” Hidan vented his frustrations about his new leader onto Kakuzu since this _is_ all Kakuzu's fault. They had been doing just fine on their own before all of this.

He heard Kakuzu sigh beside him. “Yes, I agree, he isn't the greatest man to have as a leader. But we’ve clearly proven to be more valuable than the other members. I don't think Oogura has seen that much money in one place. I doubt we’ll be doing mediocre tasks.”

Hidan fell silent as he thought. _I’ve never heard Kakuzu complain so much about something other than me. He normally shows respect towards his leader like he did with Pain. Huh… He must really not like this guy._

They continued walking in silence as Hidan mentally shooed away his opinion on the Crows. It was just souring his mood. Instead, he focused on how he was going to make his first kill with his new scythe. Just imagining it sent a burst of energy through him. Kakuzu had it specially made for him and he couldn't help grinning until his cheeks hurt.

~~~

The sun was shining but it wasn't too hot, Kakuzu was in a good mood despite spending money, and the brand new weapon on his back clinked softly as they walked. Nothing could ruin this day for Hidan.

Or so he had first thought.

That asshole, the one who had first confronted Hidan and Kakuzu with his merry band of other assholes, stood poised in the center of town with a short-sword pointed at Hidan. This piece of shit, that Hidan has wanted to sacrifice the moment they met, was currently lecturing at them with a sideways sneer.

“You know, the two of you can't just disappear as you please,” the talking asshole went on. “And you’ve come back with a shiny new weapon. Looks expensive. Where’d’ya get the money to buy that? You know,” he looked directly at Hidan, “you’re supposed to share what you have with everyone.”

Hidan bared his teeth into a snarl at the chorus of laughter. He instinctively reached for the spear in his jacket but then he paused and smiled. _This fucker would be the perfect one to test my new blade on._ He started to reach for its handle when Kakuzu stepped in.

“It's his personal property from a time before joining. As new members, we are unfamiliar with all the rules but if this must be brought up to Oogura, then by all means, let's go have a discussion with him.” Kakuzu mixed both a smug attitude and an underlying threat that seemed to make the asshole even more pissed. It almost brought a smile to Hidan's face had it not been for Kakuzu stopping him from slaughtering them all.

The lead asshole lowered his sword but he still looked angry. “No, it's fine. There's no problem here so long as the two of you understand that you can't steal from the Crows even if you're members.”

“Steal?” Hidan was appalled. “If anyone's been robbed it's-”

Kakuzu thrust his hand towards Hidan’s face. “Not now, Hidan,” he warned.

Hidan glared back but said nothing. _First he gets in the way and now I can't defend myself?_

“If there are no further issues, we'll take our leave.” Kakuzu began walking without waiting for a response (not that he got one) and Hidan followed suit.

Eyes watched them leave and Hidan seemed to be the main focus of them. He glared at the lead dick and had to force himself from leaping at him. Once he and Kakuzu were alone again, he really let him have it.

“What the fuck, Kakuzu! Why'd you stop me? That piece of shit was asking for it! Accusing us of stealing?” Hidan yelled and he didn't care who heard. “You gave them the money! Fucking walked right in and gave it to them and they didn't even ask. They just took. And that bastard thinks he can threaten us?” Hidan stepped in front of Kakuzu to block his path. “They ain't shit. I could have killed them all and then we wouldn't have to deal with this shit. So why'd you get in the way?”

Kakuzu stared back with his usual angry look. “There is no doubt in my mind that you could kill them. When I said ‘not now,’ I meant you can’t kill them now.”

Hidan relaxed some, a little surprised at what Kakuzu said. “You mean, I can kill them later? Because I really want to make that piece of shit who starts everything suffer.”

“Yes. But not anytime soon.” Kakuzu walked around him and left Hidan wondering.

“So,” feeling his good mood come back, Hidan caught up. “How soon then?”

“I’ll let you know when the time is right.”

Hidan gave a frustrated shout. “That's not good enough! C’mon, Kakuzu! I can't wait that long. That guy really pisses me off.”

“The feeling's mutual, Hidan. Believe me.”

“If you hate them as much as I do then let's slaughter them all! They all look weak as shit!” He honestly couldn't fathom Kakuzu holding back after all the crap they've gone through.

“Keep it down, Hidan!” Kakuzu growled.

_Ah, shit. Now he's getting pissed at me._ Hidan folded his arms behind his head. “Fine, fine. Just let me know when so I can pray before the killing.”

“Tch! You and your goddamn praying. What a waste of time,” Kakuzu scoffed.

Hidan contemplated for a moment on taking a swing at Kakuzu. He already had his hand on the handle of his scythe. It wasn't like him to hesitate but by now too much time had passed to catch Kakuzu off-guard. He let go and crossed his arms. “This whole situation is a waste of time.” He tried his damnedest to not look at Kakuzu but he couldn't keep his eyes away for long.

Kakuzu had stopped a few strides ahead and faced him with his usual scowl. “I’ll be sure to let you have first pick on who to _sacrifice_.” He didn't sound angry even with the added sarcasm at the end.

Hidan grumbled. _He’s being oddly giving today considering he spent a bunch of money._ He sighed. “Fine, but don't forget that. In fact, swear on it!” He knew that seemed a little childish but Kakuzu’s tendency to go berserk and kill everyone was more likely to happen.

“Don't be such a child,” he responded just like Hidan knew he would with his back turned and everything.

“Oi, I’m being serious here!” That was a lie but teasing Kakuzu could be so much fun. “Swear on it!”

“Don't bother asking because now I’ll be killing you with the rest of them.”

Hidan laughed wholeheartedly. Kakuzu wasn't even that pissed he just didn't want to give him the satisfaction and that was fine. Kakuzu can pretend to make as many threats as he wanted, but Hidan knew they were empty. Had he been really pissed something or someone would have been reduced to an unidentifiable pile of ash by now.

Hidan sent a silent prayer to Jashin asking that Kakuzu never change for the worst. He could handle the abuse, and hell, sometimes looked forward to it, but he prayed that Kakuzu's softer side never disappeared. It was an oddity so rare that sometimes Hidan forgot Kakuzu could be nice in his own grumpy old man kind of way.

Hidan smiled as he hummed an agreement to his own thoughts. _Yeah, don't ever let him change._


	19. Chapter 19

“I want the two of you to go do what you do best: reel in the money,” Oogura stated with arms spread wide. His teeth flashed a false smile and his new jewelry glinted around his hands and neck.

Kakuzu glowered. The money _he_ had worked for was clearly being well spent. “And how do you want that done?” After a couple of days of sitting around with no assignments, Oogura had finally summoned he and Hidan, and he can already see why.

“You bounty hunt, right? That's what you told me your skillset is. Or,” he watched Hidan for a few breaths, “perhaps that wasn’t _all_ you're good for?”

His fist tightened. Oogura better watch himself before he got a new hole in his chest. “I prefer collecting bounties. At least then there's a reward.”

“Forgive me, I don't mean to be rude,” Oogura said a little too comfortably. “I just haven't heard anything about either of you. Your names or faces don't appear in any bingo book I’ve ever seen and no one seems to know of any bounty hunters by your descriptions.” Oogura leaned forward. “Now, I don't mind if maybe you just haven't made yourselves known and make your living off of small bounties on nameless men, but it has raised some concerns of mine. Unlike the majority of us, you don't carry any Village association, which means you aren't properly trained in the ninja arts. So how are you taking down men and women who are?”

_So he does have some sense. Not enough to dig deeper into history though._ Hidan shuffled beside him. Kakuzu was well aware of Hidan’s desire to kill but they hadn't been ousted just yet. “You're right,” Kakuzu spoke up. “We go after the smaller bounties. They're the easiest for the two of us to handle and doesn't earn much recognition. But we aren't useless. Are skills are primarily taijutsu,” he lied. “With so many low-ranked rogue shinobi, there are plenty of bounties to collect and it begins to add up.” Though true, Kakuzu had no interest in those pitiful amounts.

Oogura seemed pleased that his suspicions were right and began to smile while he got comfortable. “Well, I would like the two of you to keep up the hunting. It's a shame you don't get recognized for the work you've done but let me assure you, you're work _here_ , is appreciated.”

_Only because you like to spend my money instead of earning it yourself. I should start looking into other organizations._ “Very well,” Kakuzu dipped his head ever so slightly. Oogura didn't deserve any respect, the man was a fool, but for now, Kakuzu needed them.

Kakuzu began leaving the office. “Let's go, Hidan.” However, Hidan didn't budge. Kakuzu watched him. A part of him wanted Hidan to do it - to bathe the room in blood. But now wasn't the right time.

Oogura was watching Hidan with a facade that was quickly cracking under the pressure. Beads of sweat surfaced on his forehead as the air in the room turned uncomfortable. The look in Hidan’s eyes was of a predator and Oogura was the prey, but it was prey that would have to be hunted another day.

“Hidan,” he repeated with a little more anger. Hidan clicked his tongue after a moment more of his hungry stare and finally sauntered over. Kakuzu shooed him out the door and tried to fix an angry gaze on him but the other refused to look at him so he cast one last glance at Oogura.

He was still uncomfortable but clearly feeling more relaxed now that the unknown threat was gone. “What the fuck was that about,” he heard him mumble.

_Yes, what was that about?_ “My apologies,” Kakuzu spoke up. Oogura turned sharply. “He's a little… slow.”

Oogura smiled weakly. “I see…” his voice trailed off.

Kakuzu closed the door behind him and followed Hidan outside. With no one around to be a witness, Kakuzu smacked the back of Hidan’s head.

“Ow!” Hidan spun around as he covered his head from further possible attacks. “What the fuck?! That fucking hurt!”

Kakuzu growled, “I told you not to start anything.”

“I didn't do anything!” he tried to defend himself.

“Don't bullshit me, Hidan. You were thinking about it.” He walked passed his idiotic partner and headed for the trails. Kakuzu needed the hunt of a good bounty if he was going to calm his ever-growing rage.

Hidan gave a frustrated groan. “I still don't get why we even have to be a part of this group. They can't offer us anything.” He ran up to Kakuzu to further complain. “I hated Pain but at least with Akatsuki they let me spread the word of Jashin. These lowlifes you got us working for are worthless and our ‘not-so-great and powerful leader’ _Oogura_ only sees us as his personal bank.” Hidan continued to ramble on about the worthlessness of money and how if Oogura knew who they really were, he'd soil his pants and beg for mercy.

The constant vomit of complaints from Hidan was beginning to make Kakuzu's blood boil and that smack he had given him earlier paled in comparison to what he really wanted to do now. “Look at it this way,” Kakuzu interrupted Hidan’s rant. “We’ve been given permission to do whatever we want as long as it brings in money. Which means we don't have to associate around them too often.”

“‘ _Permission?_ ’ We don't need their ‘ _permission.’_ They wouldn't be able to stop us-”

Kakuzu rolled his eyes as Hidan continued his rant of poor word choices that only increased the power of this portable migraine. He had been lax on his outbursts since his revival knowing that Hidan, up until now, could overpower him. But as his head throbbed with each sound that spilled forth from Hidan’s mouth, Kakuzu couldn't handle it anymore.

In one swift motion, Hidan was pinned against a tree with only the sounds of his escaped choked gags. Kakuzu squeezed and relished in the pulsation of blood that tried to force its way through the arteries in Hidan's neck. He wanted this - he wanted to keep tightening his grip until the veins popped and bones snapped. His right hand hardened and he pulled it back to strike. One rapid movement to silence his prey-

A stinging sensation of his arm grew in intensity and suddenly snapped him out of his rage. Hidan was clawing at him in an attempt to free himself and was drawing blood. His face was bloated and turning purple and saliva decorated his chin and dripped onto Kakuzu's wrist. With the realization that he was crushing Hidan’s throat, Kakuzu released his hold and Hidan collapsed onto the ground. The man coughed and sputtered as he fought to catch his breath and held onto his own throat in desperation.

_Shit!_ Kakuzu stepped back to give Hidan some breathing room. This was the first time he'd lost control of his temper and Hidan was the unfortunate soul to feel the wrath of his blind rage. Actually, as Kakuzu assessed the situation, Hidan should consider himself lucky that he was still in one piece. But that didn't bode well for Kakuzu.

As his choking fit died down, Hidan managed to croak, “...Fuck! What the fuck?!” He leaned back against the tree and rubbed his bruised throat. “What the hell was that for?”

Kakuzu narrowed his eyes. “You know perfectly well what that was for. I’m tired of your complaining.” He pointed at Hidan to emphasize his anger. “And you were purposely irritating me in the hopes of getting a reaction and now that you have, are you satisfied?”

Hidan’s face contorted into a snarl. “You're just pissed ‘cause you know I’m right!”

“I never said you weren't.”

His response caught Hidan off-guard. He could see the gears turning (what little of them there were) as he tried to process what to say next.

“But that doesn't mean you have to repeat yourself over and over to make your opinion known.” He glared right into Hidan’s red-violet eyes. “I won't tolerate your insistent babbling. And if you pull that shit with Oogura, or anyone else, again, I’ll break your neck.” He saw the flash of fear reflected back as Hidan ruminated his threat.

With that, Kakuzu set out once more. He heard Hidan give a few more dry coughs and pick himself up off the ground. Kakuzu didn't wait to see if Hidan would follow him - he didn't have to. Where else could Hidan go? And for whatever purpose he had brought Kakuzu back from death, Hidan needed him.

Hidan hung back a ways but still within eyesight as he followed Kakuzu. He was unusually quiet considering he’d nearly lost his head but that was probably due to a mix of pouting and plotting revenge. Hidan’s childish antics made him predictable and Kakuzu's Iron Skin Technique made him invulnerable to Hidan’s attacks. All Kakuzu had to make sure of was that his jutsu was faster than Hidan. _And then I’ll dismember that little shit and gift-wrap him for Konohagakure._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank you all for your patience. I know it's slow but I have a lot planned it just takes awhile to type it all out in my free time.  
> :)


	20. Chapter 20

_Swish!_

Hidan’s scythe whistled through the air as he swung it and narrowly missed his target. “Yeahoi!” Hidan whooped. He loved the feel of the blades cutting through the air as he chased his prey.

He leapt after a rogue Hidden Stone ninja, determined to draw the man’s blood. His victim hid behind a boulder so Hidan jumped into the air. He hollered above his target, scythe above his head, and gave a chuckle as he brought it down. “Che!” He’d love it even more if he could manage to land a hit. The Ex-Iwagakure nin rolled out of the way and Hidan's scythe dug into the ground. Having missed, he leapt on top of the boulder and swung his scythe over a shoulder.

Hidan found his target poised and ready a dozen meters away. “Heh, not gonna run, huh?” He looked at the surrounding area and spotted Kakuzu strangling the other man who they had jumped. “Haaa,” he breathed. “I better wrap this up before Kakuzu finishes.” He kicked off the rock and charged once more at the stranger.

Hidan whooped and hollered as he swung his blade. The other man dodged and blocked each of his attacks without any hesitation but the constant barrage was beginning to wear him down. The rogue pushed back to lengthen the distance between them and took his eyes off Hidan a second too long. Hidan threw his scythe and felt the tether glide past his hands and jumped up into the air after it. His target, noticing the blades heading towards him, leaped skywards to avoid it. The scythe flew underneath him and Hidan tugged the cord, whipping it back in his direction. In mid-air, the only thing the man could do was block it. Metal clanged against metal but the scythe continued its path past him. Hidan caught it, already on his descent above the man and brought it down on top of him.

The Ex-Iwa man had managed to defend against the attack but Hidan’s scythe pushed him back and slammed him into the ground. The momentum of the impact thrust the tips of the blades into the man’s chest and Hidan grinned as he watched him suck in his breath from the pain.

Hidan laughed. Finally this game of cat and mouse was over. Breaking away he licked the fresh blood off his blades and chuckled softly as he felt it: the power of Jashin coursing through him.

His skin turned black and white.

The curse was in place.

Hidan pulled the spear out from his jacket and pierced his hand. He grimaced at the pain as he let his blood drain onto the ground. It wasn't as euphoric as he would like it to be but in time he'll enjoy this pain again.

Hidan stepped into the puddle of his own blood and began drawing the circle all the while his prey stood back trying to understand why Hidan would injure himself. A common reaction amongst enemies: they all stood in awe and confusion when they should be attacking. Hidan finished the sign of his Lord and cackled. “Everything's in place. I hope you're ready!” Hidan laughed as the man across from him tensed up when he raised his spear. That brief moment of panic and determination as they prepared for an attack that they would never comprehend; Hidan relished in that naivety.

He brought it down into his gut and held in a cry as skin and muscles screamed in torment. After breathing out to enjoy the pain, he watched in pleasure as the man’s confusion turned to agony. The weapon in his hand fell to the ground and his knees buckled as he clutched at his stomach. Hidan laughed again, grinning through his own pain. “Now you know the power of Jashin-sama!” He raised his arms and beheld the sky. “Hahaha,” he breathed. He looked back at the man who was trying to get back to his feet. Hidan grabbed the spear still inside him and twisted it around. The man screamed in response. “It hurts, doesn't it?!” Hidan retched the spear free and looked to the heavens once more. “Jashin-sama! This is just one of many to come! I’ll slaughter every heathen in your name!” He grinned maniacally at the man. “You should feel honored to be killed in the name of Jashin!” He raised his spear above his head. “Hahaha… Ha… Ahahaha! Hahahaha!” Hidan cackled as he aimed the spear and started its descent to his chest. His eyes were wide with excitement as he brought it downwards-

“…!” Hidan halted. “WHAT?!” he screamed. A hand was protruding out from his prey. _His_ prey. The man collapsed to the ground after the hand slid back out and revealed Kakuzu standing behind. Hidan stared at the body and willed it to move but he could already feel the curse fading. The man was dead, and not because of Hidan.

Anger boiled up inside him. “What the hell do you think you're doing?! He was mine!” Hidan yelled across the clearing.

Kakuzu calmly turned towards him. “You were taking too long.”

His common sense was gone and all he felt was rage. Hidan dropped his spear and lunged at Kakuzu with scythe in hand. “You sonouvabitch!” He swung and missed, but quickly recovered and lunged again.

And again.

And again.

Kakuzu dodged with ease as if he knew where Hidan was going to strike and that only pissed him off more. “You piece of shit! He was mine!” After another miss he used his momentum into a well-placed kick, but instead of dodging, Kakuzu grabbed his leg and threw him a few dozen meters across the clearing.

Hidan twisted in the air and rolled onto his feet as he impacted the ground. He growled in frustration at his lack of success and charged again. Kakuzu wasn't running but instead clasped his hands together in a familiar sign. _Shit!_ Hidan put as much power as he could into his swing and aimed it for Kakuzu's head.

The scythe jolted violently in his grasp as Kakuzu blocked and caught it. The blades hit, but they didn't cut. _Shit! He hardened his skin!_ Hidan tried to pull the weapon free but Kakuzu wouldn't let go. In a breath, a hand gripped his throat and retched him away from the scythe. Hidan could feel the thick fingers digging into the bruises from earlier and attempted to pry them off his neck.

He heard Kakuzu growl and then give an angry roar as he threw Hidan again. Flailing through the air, the rush of wind deafening him, he could just make out the sound of the tether unraveling from the mechanism on his hips.

“Augh!” he coughed as his breath left him. Kakuzu whipped him back as the tether reached its end and slammed him into the ground. Hidan moaned between gasps as his body fought to recover. The wind had been knocked out of him and it was a few moments before he was breathing again.

Kakuzu's generosity was short lived as a foot stomped down on his chest. Hidan coughed out another sound and limply grabbed Kakuzu’s ankle. Kakuzu leaned into his foot and further pressed down on Hidan. “Stop behaving like a child who didn't get their way.”

Hidan snarled in response, “Fuck you! You had no right taking my kill!”

Kakuzu shifted his weight to the ball of his foot and grinded it into Hidan. Hidan tried his best to suppress his cries but a few moans escaped him. “Stop fooling around with our targets and maybe I won't have to interfere.”

“Screw you,” he spat. “You're just still pissy from earlier. You took the kill a second before I was about to finish him off because you can't get over yourself.”

“No, I can't tolerate your grandstanding.” Kakuzu backed off and waited for Hidan to get up. “And your rituals and prayers take too long. By wasting time you're wasting money.”

Hidan leaned forward and rubbed his sore chest. “Shut up! My prayers to Jashin are not a waste of time!” He held back the tears of his defeat as he got to his feet. Why did Kakuzu have to be the world's biggest dick?

He limped over and gathered up his scythe and with a tap to the mechanism on his hip, the tether retracted. Hidan dusted off his clothes even though they were stained with dirt and blood as he waited for the tether to finish coiling back up.

He eyed Kakuzu, who was preoccupied with his bingo book. Hidan clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. _You mother fucker… Acting like I’m not even a threat to you. You think you won? This fight is only just starting!_

~~~

Hidan trailed behind Kakuzu and imagined all the different ways he could kill him. It was the only way to stop himself from losing his shit again and that's probably what kept Kakuzu quiet their entire trip to the collection office and back. Kakuzu hadn't let his guard down once and the day was nearly over. Hidan still fumed over the blatant disregard Kakuzu had shown him by taking his sacrifice and then proceeding to beat him when Hidan sought justice. He had been robbed and humiliated and blood was the only price to pay. He had learned his lesson about giving Kakuzu the chance to prepare - it only insured his future failure. So Hidan watched and waited for an opportunity to strike. Any small slip-up on Kakuzu's behalf and he'll go for the kill.

Hidan lightly bit his tongue. Patience was something he was never good at and his sore throat ached as a reminder to not forget the injustice he had been handed. His body itched with anticipation and Hidan was finding it more and more difficult to restrain himself.

With night falling fast, he felt like time was running out. _If I don't do it soon it’ll be pointless to do it tomorrow._ He had been watching Kakuzu all day like a tiger stalking its next meal but an opportunity never arose. At this rate, Hidan felt his motivation slipping. His chances of success were slim at best. Kakuzu may not be as strong or fast as he was in the past but the months of training he'd put himself through have proven fruitful. Without a doubt, Hidan knew that in time, Kakuzu would surpass his old body and no longer-

_There!_ Kakuzu’s shoulders lost their stiffness - he had finally relaxed. Hidan launched forward and whipped out his spear, closing the distance in a heartbeat and Kakuzu noticed a second too late.

Hidan plunged the spear into Kakuzu's heart. Originally, he planned on literally stabbing Kakuzu through the back but the man had managed to twist around and see his attacker. But he hadn’t reacted in time. Hidan pushed the spear with his palm until it protruded out of Kakuzu's back.

Kakuzu coughed out a yell of surprise and weakly grabbed at the weapon. Hidan grinned. Those green eyes that stared back at him twisted in anger, pain, and shock. “Hi-!” Kakuzu coughed, “Hidan!” Kakuzu had to be in a great deal of agony if he could hardly speak.

Hidan ripped the spear out and stood back to watch. “A heart for a heart, Kakuzu.” Hidan looked down on him as Kakuzu fell to his knees. The man before him clutched at the hole in his chest but still managed to look up at Hidan despite the struggle. “Don't take another of my kills, you hear me?” He had really wanted to sacrifice one of Kakuzu's hearts but that would have been impossible. Quick kills weren't as fun but at least it was a kill.

Kakuzu groaned as he doubled over and his back split open. A masked monster erupted forth and melted onto the ground, its mask crumbing into pieces. Kakuzu collapsed into the dirt and lay motionless.

Hidan watched with a bored expression as Kakuzu's body jolted a half a minute later. A new heart was replacing the old and jumpstarting his body. _I wonder how much brain damage Kakuzu gets while he stops breathing._ Hidan thought back on something he remembered. _Don't they say your brain needs oxygen or it'll die or some shit?_ “Hmph. Maybe that's why you lose your shit,” he said aloud.

Not that Kakuzu heard him. He was still writhing on the ground as his body sewed itself shut and put the new heart in place.

Hidan sighed. “Man, he's going to be so pissed,” Hidan paused in thought, “Nah, it was worth it.” He wiped off the blood from his hands and spear in the grass as he waited for Kakuzu to finish healing. “Yep,” he said as he stretched. “Totally worth it.”

Kakuzu had finally come to and was struggling to his feet. “About damn time,” Hidan complained. He readied himself for the counter attack knowing Kakuzu wasn't going to let this go.

His partner winced as he stood and rolled a shoulder. Kakuzu was moving slow - slower than he usually did after losing a heart. Perhaps his body just wasn't used to it yet. He _had_ taken even longer to recover the first time.

Hidan braced himself: just because Kakuzu was still stunned didn't mean he was any less dangerous. He twitched when Kakuzu sharply turned towards him. _Dammit!_ Hidan cursed himself for flinching. Kakuzu growled low as he glared, his unwavering eyes speaking a warning that Hidan knew all too well.

And yet, Kakuzu didn't act the way he had predicted. He turned away and continued on the trail with nothing more than a gruff ‘hmph.’ Hidan hung back some, still wary that Kakuzu's lack of reaction was just a trap. Normally, over something like this, Kakuzu would have snapped and gone on a wrath-induced rampage. Hidan had purposefully taken a heart and he at least expected a broken bone or two - it wasn't within his personality to just let this slide.

So why hadn't Kakuzu retaliated? Hidan had suspected that Kakuzu wasn't quite Kakuzu. At the beginning, when his old partner didn't lose his temper at all and kept to himself, Hidan had believed that the man the woman had brought to life wasn't the man Hidan had wanted. His doubts had dissipated once Kakuzu regained his semi-immortal body because the violent fits Hidan was accustomed too had returned. He had figured that Kakuzu had held himself back up to that point because he had been weak.

But now, Hidan wasn't so sure. Maybe he was trapped in a genjutsu and was just led to believe this was all real. He sucked at genjutsu and easily fell for the mind traps when any were cast on him. If this was all an illusion, then where the hell was he in real life?

Hidan continued to remain at a respectful distance for well over an hour. He was almost positive Kakuzu's complacent attitude was all an act and he wasn't feeling up to losing a few limbs because he had gotten too careless. But Hidan couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Every now and again, Kakuzu seemed to misstep or pause for a second. Hidan wasn't close enough to really see if Kakuzu was having a hard time walking or was multitasking and making mistakes but a seed of worry ebbed at him. Kakuzu would never feign an injury just to get back at him and had he wanted to harm Hidan, he would have done it the second he came too. And as for making mistakes, that didn't seem likely either.

No, something was wrong. Hidan picked up his pace and closed the distance while maintaining his caution. He was only a few strides behind when he saw his partner falter again. He heard a small groan from Kakuzu - a groan that sounded like he was in pain. And that was alarming.

Hidan moved in until he was about an arm's length away. He hesitated on speaking out and thought better on it. Kakuzu had too much pride to admit anything being wrong and asking would be pointless. So he came up with a different strategy.

“Nah, Kakuzu,” he said. “Where are we stopping for the night?” That sounded normal enough, right? Or maybe he should say a little more. “I’m tired and hungry and we’ve been walking for ages.” Kakuzu remained silent, not even acknowledging Hidan’s presence. _Well fine, if that's how it's going to be._ “What? You're not still mad about earlier, are you?” he teased. If anything could get Kakuzu talking, pissing him off would do the trick. “It's your fault, you know. Had you just minded your own business and let me have my kill, I wouldn't have needed to appease Jashin-sama with a substitute.”

Kakuzu gave a sharp growl to match his piercing green eyes and Hidan braced himself. His antagonizing had worked but he didn't get the reaction he was prepared for.

Kakuzu’s growl morphed into stuttering groan. A hand was to his chest and gripping the ruined cloth with such force he could see the fabric tearing. Kakuzu stumbled as he walked and continued ignoring Hidan.

“Oi…” Something _was_ wrong. “What's the matter with you?” He asked with slight concern knowing his partner wasn't one to show pain.

“I’m fine,” Kakuzu responded in an almost normal voice. Almost.

Hidan sighed and rolled his eyes. “Don't give me that ‘I’m fine’ crap ‘cause you're clearly not. What is it? You're body not healing right?”

Kakuzu suddenly halted and thrust his face towards Hidan. “I’m fine,” he growled angrily and this time it sounded like he meant it.

Hidan backed off and gave Kakuzu his space. “Alright, alright. Geez.” If Kakuzu wanted to be stubborn then let him.

They continued to walk in silence all the way through a small town until Kakuzu made an unexpected stop.

“Hn? We’re stopping at a motel?” Hidan was surprised but then again, Kakuzu must not be feeling well enough to camp out. _Figures. When he feels like shit, we get to stay somewhere nice but when I feel like shit, I get stuck sleeping in the dirt._ Hidan involuntarily groaned a little as they went inside.

~~~

Kakuzu braced himself against the sink after slamming the door in Hidan's face. The waves of pain that washed over him had grown so intense that he couldn't stand properly. It was getting more and more difficult to breathe and he felt hot and cold at the same time. Kakuzu pulled off his headdress and mask and carelessly dropped them onto the floor.

He looked at the reflection in the mirror. He was pale despite his naturally darker skin and sweat dripped down his forehead and shoulders like he had just gotten back from a tough fight.

Bending over the sink as another convulsion struck him, he tried to bite back the pain but no matter how strongly he willed his throat to stay silent, a grunt or two betrayed him. He held his breath as he waited for it to pass and focused on all the ways he could maim Hidan. It was an incredible pain – like claws gripping his insides. And diverting his mind wasn't as effective as he would have liked.

His grip on the sink loosened as the pain subsided and he stumbled backwards, breathing heavily. He bumped into the door and began to loosen his shirt when there was a knock behind him.

“Kakuzu?”

_Hidan_ , he inwardly groaned.

“Are you okay in there?” What was it that drove Hidan to be so nosy?

“Go away!” he yelled back. He stripped off his shirt and leaned back against the door. With his current condition it was difficult but he could still sense Hidan on the other side of the wall. That idiot just never knew when to mind his own business.

Exhaustion swept over him and he was panting so deeply his throat was dry. Kakuzu remained where he was for a few long moments, gathering his bearings. This sensation was distressing and as much as he wanted to blame Hidan, it wouldn't be right. But to hell with it, why not blame the bastard?

“Ack-ghsh!” Kakuzu braced himself against the door in a false hope for relief. His chest screamed at a higher volume than before as if it were about to burst. The attacks were getting worse.

His pulse was fast and irregular as four hearts beat out of sync. One in particular was failing him. He stumbled over to the sink and summoned up what little strength he had to open up the stitches on his chest. Coming apart was never pleasant but it paled in comparison to the agony he was currently in.

He needed to remove the dying heart but could he manage doing so?

He wasn't used to it - this was only the third one and he was forcing it out of all things. His body lacked the practice needed to acclimate replacing hearts and the time it took was excruciating.

Kakuzu groaned as the stitches unraveled. It was uncomfortably slow going and was accompanied by the sound of his skin snapping. Once the hole in his chest was large enough, he pushed a hand inside and felt around until he found the ill-beating heart. Gently, he pulled it out of his chest and held it over the sink, keeping the threads attached for his body still relied on what little life remained in it. He groaned louder with the summoning of his chakra as he willed the next heart into place, feeling the threads inside of him slither around. It was working he just needed to maintain his focus-

The door behind him slammed open, startling Kakuzu into tightening his grip on the heart and sent a new bolt of pain through him. His vision sparkled and knees buckled and it took all of his remaining strength not to pass out.

“Kakuzu!”

_Damn Hidan!_ he cursed. Hidan just couldn't leave him be.

“Is that a heart?” he heard Hidan yell.

Kakuzu sunk to the floor. There was blood - he could smell it. His eyes wouldn't focus but he could see red.

Red.

Everything was red.

Everything hurt.

It was red.

“-kuzu!” There was something in that sea of red. “Ka… kuzu…!” Hidan’s image materialized before him but he, too, was red. His mouth moved but all he made were sounds and he was hitting something in front of him. Hitting an arm. His arm.

Kakuzu loosened his grip on Hidan’s throat but hardly felt the man leave his fingers. His right hand ached with an uncomfortable stiffness. How long had he been strangling Hidan? He saw him barge in and then-

There was nothing. His memories from that point on were blank.

While Hidan coughed, he let his eyes travel to his left and stared blankly at the red mass of tendrils in his palm. It took him a moment longer than he was willing to confess to realize that it was the remains of the heart he had removed. Kakuzu carelessly let it roll out of his hand and onto the floor.

The odd ringing in his ears was beginning to fade and color began to return to the world around him. Kakuzu steadied his breathing. Like the ringing, his rampant pulse died down to a more manageable speed and allowed his head to think more clearly.

Hands slipped in his own blood as he propped himself up against the bathroom wall. Now that his vision had returned, he took in his surroundings. The heart that was coiled in his tendrils was a bloodied mass where he'd dropped it and his own hands were stained red. Blood was running down the sink counter, the place where he last remembered being, and a slight red spray decorated the wall.

Hidan’s coughing had died down and he was grimacing in pain. His throat and face was smeared with blood, but not his own.

Kakuzu looked down at himself. His chest had sewn itself closed but he looked like a war victim. His own blood had run down his arm and chest and stained his pants. He had lost too much and he felt light-headed.

And it was all thanks to Hidan. Had he just minded his own business, Kakuzu wouldn't have lost consciousness and bled all over himself.

“Dammit, you asshole,” Hidan croaked. “Have you finally snapped out of it?”

Kakuzu narrowed his eyes. “Get out.”

“What? You just took a heart out.” Hidan got to his knees. “What the hell was that all about?”

Kakuzu balled his fists and drew his lips back into a snarl. “Get. Out.”

“Wha-? You're like, dying on the floor-” Hidan stopped mid sentence, seeming to finally sense the anger building up in Kakuzu. “Tch! Fine,” he said as he rose to his feet. He grabbed a towel and ran it under the sink before wiping the blood off of him. “Bleed out on the floor for all I care.” He marched out of the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

He sounded upset, but Kakuzu couldn't bring himself to give a shit. Right now, he just wanted to be left alone so Hidan couldn't witness his currently weakened body.

There was no telling what he would do to him. His ‘partner’ already attacked him once today the second his guard was down and Kakuzu was not about to fall prey to a ritual.

He slowly got to his feet and ignored the spinning walls as he slumped against the counter. Nausea washed over him so he turned the water on to ease his mind. Water always did have a calming effect on him.

He leaned against the cool but bloodied surface until he started to feel more in control. His body was replenishing the lost blood (one of the better perks of having multiple hearts) and color was beginning to return to his face.

Feeling more energetic, he straightened and sighed. The bathroom was a mess and he very well couldn't leave it this way. At least he chose a decent hotel. The tiled bathroom had a drain in the floor and a detachable showerhead. Had he gone cheaper he'd have been on his hands and knees with a washcloth.

Kakuzu dragged his feet over to the shower, started it up, and let the cool water wash over him. Red streamed between his feet, flowing that bright and dangerous color for far longer than he had expected it to. It was a lot of blood; too much, and he was down two hearts. He was going to have to find suitable replacements.


	21. Chapter 21

Hidan pretended to have little interest in Kakuzu’s brief explanation about the heart he had removed. He ended up having to fill in the blanks himself because Kakuzu wasn't sharing any details (other than to place the blame on him). Apparently, the heart had been weak to begin with so when Hidan had killed off the other one, it struggled to maintain itself as the primary replacement. So in some form, Kakuzu had been suffering from miniature heart attacks. No wonder he was being so pissy.

But in the back of his mind, Hidan was worried. What if, later on, Kakuzu is down to his last heart and it ends up giving out before he can find another? According to that woman he used to bring him back, this was it - there was no third chance, not even as a reanimation. His soul would be bound to the afterlife.

_If that happens, then oh well. It's not like I_ need _Kakuzu. All he's done is piss me off anyways._ Hidan tried to smile at his own reassurance but he didn't have the drive for his own humor.

Kakuzu still seemed to be recovering. He was agitated and shorter tempered than usual but he lacked energy. He didn't speak much, not even to yell at Hidan to stop talking, and ignored anyone they encountered. Anybody who didn't know Kakuzu would think he was depressed or ill. Or maybe just a rude, old man.

A gray pigeon flew overhead and cooed before nearly falling into the ground. It had landed closer to Hidan than Kakuzu but when Hidan approached it, it fluttered over to Kakuzu's feet. _How am I scarier than him? Stupid bird,_ Hidan pouted. It wasn't the first time. For some reason, animals tended to avoid him and it was a little heartbreaking when he meant most of them no harm.

Kakuzu scooped up the pigeon and removed something from its leg. “A message?” Hidan inquired as Kakuzu unraveled a small scroll. “What's it say?”

Kakuzu was quiet as he read. “We have a target.” He tossed the pigeon into the air and it flapped in surprise before taking off.

“You'd think, being called The Crows, they'd use, y’know, crows?” Hidan beamed a quick smile at his attempted joke but he didn't get any response. Kakuzu watched the bird leave for a moment and then pulled out his bingo book. _Well, fine, keep ignoring me._

Kakuzu rifled through the pages until he seemed to find who he was looking for and snapped it shut, pocketing it once more. He began heading in the same direction as the bird - the same direction they had just been leaving.

“Oi, oi,” Hidan called out. “Why are we going back the way we just came?”

“We need to return to the Land of Stone. That's where our assigned target it.”

“Hnn?” Hidan was curious. “They actually have something specific for us to do? I kinda liked being able to do whatever we wanted.”

Kakuzu didn't respond until Hidan opened his mouth to fill the empty conversation. “It's not our decision.”

“Oh, _right_. Remind me again why we work for that asshole?” Hidan waited on a response that never came. “Well, this guy better be more challenging than the pussies we've been hunting. These fights are getting boring.” Not that the last one had been. With his new scythe he had been enjoying himself until Kakuzu ruined it. But having the scythe meant his fights would end sooner and that wasn't any fun.

Kakuzu's continued lack of interaction put a damper on Hidan's mood. It was worse than talking to a wall because with Kakuzu he expected some form of a response. Blowing a raspberry out of boredom, he kept an eye on his partner. He had stopped expecting Kakuzu to rip him into pieces, although for the longest time he just wished Kakuzu would get it over with. He had hoped his partner would do something, anything, even if it were to throw a single punch. But by now, if the man wasn't going to do anything, then Hidan wasn't going to be concerned over it.

Hidan gave a long and drawn-out sigh. “Man, I’m bored.”

~~~

Hidan huddled by the crackling fire as he waited for Kakuzu to return. The heat felt nice against the chill in the air and he wanted to curl up into his jacket and sleep. It was nights like these where he missed his Akatsuki cloak.

He heard rustling around in the forest but he couldn't see past the earth walls that had been set up for camp. They shaped an incomplete triangle, each point being an exit, and stood at about a meter and a half tall. Hidan only liked them for the cold nights like tonight because they helped keep the heat in. Outside of that, he couldn't sleep too well with them looming there.

Kakuzu emerged with an armful of sticks to keep the fire going and dropped them carelessly into the already made pile. Hidan watched him move to the opposite wall and sit down. He wanted to ask how he was feeling and if he was up for the fight tomorrow but Hidan held back his tongue. Kakuzu had shown no interest in acknowledging anything Hidan had done or said throughout the day to the point where he lost his own motivation to speak. Why hadn't he picked someone else to bring back? Anyone would be a better conversationalist than Kakuzu.

Hidan buried his face in the crook of his arm. He already knew that answer. Dammit, he was so lame. There wasn't one other person who came to mind. Why? Because he hated everyone else, even his fellow Jashinists that he'd slaughtered. Hell, he couldn't even remember any of their names. Kakuzu was the only one he could think of on the spot, although for a time, his memory of him had been foggy. It's hard to remember someone when you hadn't seen them in twenty years.

He peeked over his arm to see what Kakuzu was up to. Sitting against the wall with arms folded and eyes closed; his usual ‘don't talk to me’ position. Not that that ever stopped Hidan from bothering him.

Hidan opened his mouth to say something when Kakuzu suddenly spoke up. “I’ll take first watch.”

Hidan's mouth closed. That was it - Kakuzu wasn't going to say anymore. He hadn't even opened his eyes and yet somehow shut Hidan down from asking him anything.

Hidan sighed an ‘okay’ and curled up on the ground by the wall. He wasn't really that tired but there was nothing to do but sleep. He just hoped morning came soon and Kakuzu was back to his usual grumpy self.

~~~

Hidan climbed as fast he could up the crumbling cliffside but he didn't seem to be getting any closer to the top. The ground under foot moved like an avalanche down the canyon walls and was increasing in speed. No matter how much power he put into his legs, Hidan felt like he was running in place.

All around he could hear the cracking of boulders colliding into one another, muffled by the downpour of gravel and sand. The awful taste of grit in his mouth mixed with saliva had turned to mud in his mouth and it only served to fuel his fear.

He gagged and stumbled and lost focus on his feet as the ground swept over his legs and dragged him downwards. Hidan struggled to break free but he was trapped.

Before he knew it, he was pinned against the canyon walls. The earth snaked around him and rose, confining him from the waist down. He clawed at the dirt but the holes filled instantly. Realizing there was no escape, Hidan froze in fear. The sand that lapped up to his chest threatened to wash over him and his breathing restricted.

_I’m gonna die!_

Hidan looked up to the dark sky in the hopes for something, anything to save him but his eyes grew wide in shock.

A boulder had flown off the edge and was falling straight towards him. His voice caught in his throat as he tried to scream. It grew larger as it came closer and to his horror, Hidan couldn't move. He watched in agony, wanting to cry as the area turned black from its shadow. Hidan shut his eyes and braced himself but he could still see it hurtling towards him a breath before impact-

Hidan's eyes flew open and he shouted as he scrambled backwards. The rock was right there, inches from his face.

But he could move.

_Escape_.

Hidan kicked at the ground in a panic, scrambling back, seeming to be faster than the rock. His hand dug into something warm that hissed and suddenly his skin burned. Overwhelmed, Hidan cried out in pain and instinctively pulled his hand away. He cradled his hand and whimpered as the burned flesh boiled and oozed. Realizing he had forgotten about his impending doom, Hidan's attention shot back to the rock, but it wasn't moving.

He craned his head around to look at whatever had caused him pain and stared blankly in confusion. He had disturbed a heap of ash with coals that still glowed orange. Small flames flicked in and out between the embers and produced tiny sparks at each pop of the kindling.

Still cradling his injured hand, Hidan took in his surroundings. With a big sigh of relief, the tension escaped his muscles as he figured out where he was. _It was all a dream,_ he told himself. His pounding heart slowed with his breathing and he felt the fatigue set in as the adrenaline subsided.

Hidan breathed another sigh to calm down and then remembered he wasn't alone. He twisted around and spotted Kakuzu in the same position he’d remembered him being in except this time his eyes were watching Hidan.

He shied away and focused on his hand. The acrid stench of burned flesh filled his nostrils as he examined the damage, making him nearly gag at the smell. The left half of his palm was inflamed and spotted with blisters, soot hiding the most of it but he knew it was worse than it looked.

Hidan gritted his teeth and did his best not to make any sounds as he gently rubbed spit into his hand in the hopes of clearing away some of the grime. His hand still felt like it was on fire and touching it only made the pain worse.

Something metallic crashed beside him and startled his already frayed nerves and snapped his attention to the canteen that hadn’t been beside him a second ago. Still jittery from his nightmare, he gingerly picked up the canteen Kakuzu used for water and turned to look at his partner. Arms crossed and eyes closed, Kakuzu sat like he wasn't awake, but Hidan knew he was just pretending. It wasn’t like there was anyone else around to throw things at him.

Hidan smiled weakly at the gesture. _I guess he isn't as angry with me anymore,_ he thought as he unscrewed the cap. He drizzled the water, not wanting to use it all up, and wiped away the soot with his shirt. It was difficult to see what he was doing with what little light the remains of the fire produced but at least he could make out some of it.

Both the water and air stung his raw skin and he was soon wrapping his hand in a torn piece of cloth. He wasn't worried about an infection, not with his healing abilities, but that didn't mean he had to let the sores ooze all over everything.

Hidan scooted back to the wall. “I guess I’ll take over watch,” he said. Kakuzu didn't respond, or move for that matter. Hidan sighed and let his head thump against the rock wall. He could feel his pulse in his palm and it throbbed to a rhythmic beat.

He watched Kakuzu, unable to tell if the man was asleep or not. That was the funny thing about him. Kakuzu didn't snore or mumble and he never moved. Hidan wasn't sure what training Kakuzu went through to make him hold still for hours but it certainly didn't teach him patience. That short temper of his was nasty… but, as Hidan glanced down at the canteen, he knew Kakuzu had other sides to him other than anger and rage.

Even if he rarely ever showed them.


	22. Chapter 22

Hidan felt the blisters on his palm pop as he slashed through opponent after opponent. He clenched his teeth through the pain, preferring to let his scythe glide through the bodies.

Kakuzu was busy as well, having released, for the first time, one of the monsters he stored in his back and was wreaking havoc on the surrounding landscape. Hidan had initially hung back knowing Kakuzu had lost his temper but the pair had disturbed a hornets nest of rogue ninjas and he found himself getting involved despite not wanting to.

Another blast of heat gusted past as Kakuzu released a torrent of flames. The panicked screams of the men and women on fire filled the air as the roar of the inferno died down. That fire jutsu of his had a wide area of effect and nothing would be spared. And their opponents were quickly realizing this. The few others that had escaped Kakuzu's wrath were beginning to lose their will to fight. They had come here for one man and yet they've already killed dozens. Hidan couldn't remember the name of who they were assigned to kill but that hardly seemed to matter any more. Kakuzu was destroying everything in the vicinity and ripping the still beating hearts out of the unfortunate souls who thought they could fight him and win.

After finishing the few that had tried to fight him, Hidan spent most of the battle watching. He wasn't in any mood to sacrifice anyone and more or less didn't feel like getting caught up in Kakuzu's attacks. His partner was infuriated and his usual clean kills ended the second one of them managed to kill off one of his hearts. Hidan wasn't even sure if Kakuzu cared about the bounty anymore. It wouldn't surprise him if the miser got pissed later on when he realized none of the bodies were salvageable. And they really weren't. The ones that weren’t a charcoaled brisket were in bloody messes. Only the ones Hidan had killed could still be identifiable.

“Ooof,” Hidan commented in disgust as Kakuzu ripped the spine out of one of his opponents. “Man, Kakuzu is having one serious tantrum.” All that pent up rage between dealing with those Crow idiots and Hidan's literal backstabbing must have finally erupted from within Kakuzu because he was terrifying.

Hn?” Two ninjas, one scrawnier than the other, leapt onto the boulder Hidan had squat observing on and armed themselves with kunai. Knowing a fight was unavoidable, he got up and swung the scythe in his good hand. “Ho-ho! I do not envy you guys. I’ve been on the receiving end of that shitstorm, and boy, let me tell you, it is _not_ pleasant.” Hidan smirked at his new foes.

“Call him off! We’ll give you what you want but get that monster to stop,” the larger of the two shouted. The man sounded terrified as he pointed a trembling knife at Hidan.

“Ahahaha! That's a good one! Tell Kakuzu to stop?” Hidan laughed again. Seriously, asking the enemy for mercy? What fucking era is this? “You guys don't get it,” he smiled devilishly. “We’re here to kill all of you!” Hidan lunged forward and narrowly missed the pair. The smaller of the two recovered quicker than the other and closed the distance but Hidan countered with a barrage of attacks. His movements were sloppy; his hand throbbing in a painful reminder that the wound had reopened. He really wasn't in the mood to fight and was more content with watching the inferno that was Kakuzu. But leave it to a bunch of weaklings to attack an onlooker.

The larger one spotted Hidan’s wince as he caught the scythe and swooped in. Hidan was wide open after halfheartedly swinging his blade but he leaned back as the kunai glided past his face leaving his opponent vulnerable. Hidan grabbed hold of the spear in his jacket, ignoring the sting of his palm and thrust it into the man.

Choking on his own blood, the man dropped his blade, scrabbling weakly at the spear as the scarlet liquid flowed. Hidan placed a foot on the man's chest and kicked him away with a jerk. The other one came at him fast and something whistled past his ear. With a roar, his attacker foolishly charged with a short sword and buried it into Hidan's abdomen. “Ow! That fucking hurts!”

Shocked, the man moved too slowly to escape and his scream was cut short. Hidan whipped the spear out from his neck and watched the body collapse onto the ground. “Tch! Man-” Hidan complained as he looked at the sword protruding from his stomach. “Okay,” he breathed and braced himself as he gripped the handle. With a few quick breaths, he snarled in pain as he pulled it free. “Nnn…! Fuck, that hurt!” He dropped the sword onto the ground and held a hand over the wound.

Hidan glanced around until he found Kakuzu… tearing the heart out of the last shinobi. The battlefield around him was littered with bodies: both ripped apart and burned to a crisp. Hidan covered his nose from the putrid smell of burning hair and clothes and sat down on the rock once more.

The black monster Kakuzu had sent out was returning to his side while Kakuzu incorporated the new heart into his body. Hopefully with this, Hidan spectated, Kakuzu's temper will simmer down and he’ll be less agitated later. But just in case Kakuzu was still in the middle of his blind fury, Hidan waited on the top of his rock until he could judge it was safe.

Kakuzu leaned forward and reabsorbed the masked creature, the red marked mask stitching itself into his back to lie in its dormant slumber until it was to be summoned again.

Hidan hummed and kicked his feet as he watched. With the creature returned, Kakuzu was probably clearer headed now but - _I shouldn't join him just yet. He did just kill, like, three dozen people._ Hidan wanted Kakuzu to pick through his victims and find their target first. Depending on which mangled body was the one Kakuzu needed, it may not be wise to join him just yet.

“Uh-oh,” Hidan uttered. Kakuzu had turned his attention to him and he didn't look pleased. Hidan jokingly waved. “Yeah, yeah, I see you,” he pretended to smile. “Don't think I'm coming down there to help, though.” There was no way Kakuzu could hear him but his partner got the message anyways and went about searching the bodies.

Bored, Hidan laid down and watched the clouds drift lazily past. His hand still ached and the new stab wound felt warm but he ignored it for now and just let his thoughts fade away like the clouds. He didn't think about anything and let his body relax and warm up in the sun. The heat from the boulder felt nice along his back and Hidan soon felt himself drifting off to sleep.

Until a shadow blocked out his sunlight.

Hidan squinted at the figure that loomed over him and grumbled.

“Get up, Hidan.” Kakuzu’s voice sounded calm, perhaps even tired. It was a good sign - it meant that all that bottled up rage of his had been released.

Hidan sat up and yawned. “So, are we done here?”

Kakuzu hummed a yes.

“Okay.” Hidan stretched as he stood up and tried to nonchalantly size up Kakuzu. He had cleaner clothes on compared to the bloody mess he had been out on the battlefield and must have changed into his spares. He was lacking his usual extra luggage though. Hidan risked a question. “Are we stopping by any collection offices?”

“No. The majority of these worms are worthless. I have what we came for.” No angered silence? Not even a grunt? Kakuzu must be feeling better because he was much more talkative.

“Oh? And what’s that?” Hidan was curious and if Kakuzu was in brighter spirits then he might as well cash in on it.

Kakuzu pulled out a necklace from his jacket pocket. Its main focus was the odd shaped ruby that was decorated in a casing of gold wire. For a few inches, small sapphires lined the chain on either side of the ruby, each also encased in gold.

“More jewelry?” Well that was a disappointment.

“Yes,” Kakuzu responded, pocketing the trinket. “It's actually worth more than the neck who wore it.”

“Mmmkay… So now what?” He didn't care about the cost of something so gaudy and he could already take a guess on who amongst the Crows was going to be wearing it. “Do we head back or what?”

Kakuzu began walking away. “We head back to Ganban.”

_Well that was obvious. I don’t know why I bothered to ask._ Hidan scanned the carnage one last time before following after Kakuzu. It had to be the worst mess either of them had made and he wasn't sure if they should leave it. Someone was bound to come across the massacre and it wasn't like Kakuzu to leave such heavy evidence.

Hidan skimmed the trees. Crows and a few vultures were already preparing for the feast and called their brethren to join them. All they needed was for the predators to leave.

The increasing cawing of the birds, as annoying as it was to listen to, was washing him with a sense of relief. Once the scavengers were done picking the bones clean, there'd be little left to connect them to this bloodbath. And anyone who did come across this place would be looking for a larger group. Or maybe even an animal considering some bodies were scattered in pieces.

Hidan trailed behind Kakuzu, wondering if he should strike up a conversation and possibly ruin Kakuzu's good mood or just stay silent until their next destination. _Ah, fuck it._ “Oi! Kakuzu!” Hidan called out and jogged up to his partner’s side. “Let's stop somewhere and eat!”

~~~

In their moldy motel, Hidan picked at the bits of cloth that had fused with his healing skin, flicking them into the bathroom sink. Kakuzu had basically dropped him off in the room while he went to go see Oogura alone. His partner didn't say it but he didn't have to: clearly he did not want Hidan to start any drama. Which, whatever; it wasn't like he _wanted_ to see any of those assholes.

Hidan sucked in a sharp breath and cursed as he unintentionally ripped off a chunk of skin. Blood welled up from the fresh wound and he cursed again as he held it under the faucet. He regretted not picking at it while he had showered earlier. At least then he didn't have to worry about dripping blood everywhere.

He heard someone enter the room and Kakuzu appeared a moment later in the bathroom doorway. He carried with him a shopping bag, though, Hidan couldn't imagine him shopping in public.

Kakuzu stepped forward and placed the bag on the counter. “How bad is it?”

Hidan was stunned. How pathetic must he look if Kakuzu was asking about his hand? It wasn't like him to care over something so minor. “I’m fine,” Hidan answered.

Kakuzu didn't seem convinced. Perhaps the fresh blood lining the sink gave him away. Hidan diverted the attention on him to the mystery items. “What's in the bag?”

Kakuzu reached in and pulled out a roll of gauze and placed it on the counter. _Is he serious?_ Hidan didn't know how to respond so he jumped topics. “Well, how did the meeting go?”

“Hmm…” Kakuzu thought about what to say. “Oogura was… surprised. He didn't think we’d return so soon and unscathed so I told him you were sleeping off your injuries.”

Hidan frowned. “Don't go thinking I'm going to stay trapped in this room pretending to be sick because _you_ couldn't come up with a better excuse.”

Kakuzu was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. “Next time we'll take our time.”

“Ha! Next time? Don't you think that he sent us into a trap? I mean, he has no idea what we're capable of but he _had_ to know that he assigned us to something most people wouldn't be able to handle. At least for the guys in this stupid organization, anyways.”

“Hn? So you do have a brain in that head of yours,” Kakuzu said amused.

“Shut up!” Though he had to admit, seeing Kakuzu make jokes was oddly comforting, but he quickly changed attitudes when Kakuzu moved closer. “What?” he asked rudely.

Kakuzu stood behind him. “Hold out your hand.” As Hidan hesitated, Kakuzu continued speaking. “Yes, I do agree that that assignment may have been a trap. The others, outside of Oogura, do not seem to like either of us.” Kakuzu grabbed Hidan's wrist and examined the burns. “And I get the feeling Oogura wasn't aware of the Thunder Arrow’s numbers. Something tells me Wanabi was behind it. He didn't seem as pleased as Oogura on our return.”

Hidan tried to pull his hand away but Kakuzu held firm. “Hey, what are you doing? Let go.” He watched Kakuzu reach into the bag and pull out a bottle. “Oi, Kakuzu! What is that?” Kakuzu pushed his weight into him and pinned Hidan against the counter. “Oi! Oi! Fuck off!”

“Hold still, Hidan.”

“Fuck you!” Kakuzu began pouring the clear liquid onto Hidan's palm and Hidan screamed obscenities. He wrestled to get free but Kakuzu wouldn't budge. The scent of alcohol washed over him and nearly made him gag. “Fuck, that stings! Fuck you! Let go!”

“Quit being such a baby,” Kakuzu told him.

“Fuck you!” Hidan was close to tears. His hand felt like it was on fire. “That hurts more than when I burned it!”

Kakuzu released Hidan's hand and dumped the remains of the rubbing alcohol down the drain. When he finally stepped away, Hidan quickly put some distance between them. “What the shit was that for?!”

“Disinfectant.”

“I don't need that shit! I don't get infections! I heal too quickly for that shit!” He really wanted to punch Kakuzu in the jaw.

“Calm down-”

“Don't tell me to calm down! Fuck you!” Hidan was pissed. Had it not been for the fact that Kakuzu could overpower him, he’d have lashed out with more than just words. Which was why he flinched back when Kakuzu took a step forward and cursed himself out for showing fear. Kakuzu wasn't even angry with him and yet he was still expected a beating.

Kakuzu grabbed more contents out of the plastic bag. “Come here and let me finish.”

“No way! I can take care of myself!”

Kakuzu raised his chin. “You did a shit job at it the first time. I can't have you slowing me down in a fight because you can't properly take care of yourself.” Now he was starting to sound angry.

Hidan drew his lips back. “And I said I can do it myself.”

Kakuzu stared back at him. The extra wrinkles around the green eyes suggested he was really starting to get pissed and this argument could go one of two ways.

Hidan growled. “Fine,” he spat and held out his hand. _It's not worth fighting over._ Kakuzu unwrapped more gauze, squeezed some clear liquid onto it and gently placed it over Hidan's burns. Hidan twitched as Kakuzu pressed it on and felt the cold ointment spread over his hand. Kakuzu began wrapping the bandage and finished it off with some tape.

Hidan pulled his hand away. “Happy?” he sarcastically asked.

Kakuzu growled low in response though Hidan wasn't sure how to take it. “Don't get it wet,” he ordered as he walked out of the bathroom.

Hidan purses his lips in a pout as he looked at his newly bandaged hand. Kakuzu had done a professional job at it and it only made Hidan’s mood further sour. “Who the fuck does he think he is?” he uttered under his breath. Secretly, he was just the smallest bit happy. And he meant the smallest. Miniscule. Hardly even that. Kakuzu liked to make excuses for his random small acts of kindness and the bandage proved that Kakuzu didn't completely hate him. But he still disliked the fact that Kakuzu assumed he could order him around.


	23. Chapter 23

With the manners of a street brat, Hidan stuffed potato chip after potato chip into his mouth as the pair walked through the alleys of town. They had just finished lunch, Hidan still in the process of eating his, and were on their way to meet with Oogura but the two had taken a detour to their destination.

Kakuzu had sensed they were being watched since they had left the motel earlier that day and that feeling had only grown in intensity since then. Hidan had picked up on it as well not too long after Kakuzu and the two had shared a silent acknowledgement between them.

The malice the Crows have been giving them was growing tiresome. He and Hidan have only been members for a couple of weeks but were hardly ever there yet the money they poured in was clearly being used up. One would think they'd be more welcomed considering their quality of life had increased since Kakuzu's arrival.

Now he and Hidan were purposely exposing themselves. Kakuzu wanted an end to their plotting, knowing full well that Wanabi was behind it all, and had finally given in to direct confrontation. They just had to wait for the opportunity to present itself.

Hidan had been looking forward to this - it was why he wasn't as chatty as he usually was. Hidan was a predator hoping to lure his prey into a false sense of security. He had wanted to kill Wanabi from the moment they had met but he was going to have to wait a little longer.

It wasn't much further into the sparse forest that their stalkers finally presented themselves. Wanabi stood on a branch in front of their path while the rest of his merry band of idiots surrounded them. There wasn't as many as Kakuzu had predicted - a little under a dozen men and women encircled them. Perhaps he couldn't convince enough Crows to attack the two people who brought in so much money.

Hidan dumped the remains of his snack into his mouth and crumpled the bag, tossing the wrapper at the man who stood poised closest to him and reached for his scythe. “Alright. Let's get this over with,” Hidan said as he played with his blade. The group readied for Hidan's attack but they were flies in his hungry eyes. With a leap over the wall of Crows, he headed straight for Wanabi.

The others were stunned, torn between defending their leader and holding their position. Kakuzu stood by and watched. He wasn't going to move unless he had to and the rest of the Crows were too distracted by Hidan's yells to pay much attention to anything else.

“Kyaaaah!” Hidan yelled again. His scythe clanged against the sword Wanabi wielded and the metallic sound rang through the area. Hidan laughed and twisted his body so he could land a kick. Wanabi was sorely outmatched. Hidan was toying with him - getting as much fun as he could out of the man and maintained a large grin the entire time. Wanabi only just managed to block Hidan’s scythe but he wasn't quick enough to dodge the kicks and punches that came afterwards.

The others suddenly remembered that Kakuzu was also there and turned their attention back to him. However, having seen how quickly Hidan moved, they hesitated as they sized up Kakuzu.

He paid little consideration. As with Hidan, they were just annoying insects hardly worth the effort to kill. He watched his partner finally manage to scratch Wanabi and saw that almost possessed smile spread across his face. Springing from his position, Kakuzu moved to intercept. In a breath he was beside Hidan and caught his arm before he could lick the blood off his blade.

Hidan growled at him defiantly. “Don't get in my way,” he said with a glare.

“Now's not the time, Hidan.” He tightened his grip on the arm until Hidan winced at the pain.

By now, the others assembled around them awaiting orders from Wanabi but their ringleader was frozen in fear, too shocked to move. Hidan had cornered him and proven to be a harder opponent than predicted and to top it off, Kakuzu flashed into existence in the blink of an eye. Wanabi’s slow mind should be coming to terms that the newcomers were on a different level from him.

And he hadn't even witnessed their true powers yet.

Hidan wrenched his arm free. “Tch!” he spat and turned to walk away.

Kakuzu eyed the blood that still stained his scythe. “Hidan.”

“I know, I know,” Hidan responded bitterly. “Fuckin’ hell, I heard ya.”

Kakuzu returned his attention back to Wanabi and grabbed his shirt collar. Wanabi yelped as Kakuzu lifted him off the ground and grabbed at his arm. _How pathetic. Where did all that ego go?_

The others didn't know what to do. They shuffled in place, none of them brave enough to be the first to attack. Kakuzu turned his green eyes onto them, daring them to make a move. Instead, they backed down and put some distance between Kakuzu and themselves.

“C-Cowards,” Wanabi barely managed to croak out. His followers were abandoning him and the overwhelming sense of dread must be plaguing his mind.

“I wouldn't say it’s cowardly for them to want to live. It would have been a waste to die fighting for your worthless life.” Kakuzu held firm despite Wanabi’s squirming.

He heard his unruly partner scoff behind him and Kakuzu had to compose himself from throwing one idiot into the other. He would have been content if Hidan had just killed Wanabi but the fool had been planning to sacrifice him instead. They can't risk revealing their true identity amongst these petty thieves. The Crows may be weak but they had numbers; cowards, but a large number. Any one of them could slip away and spread the word.

Wanabi grit his teeth and glared, hiding his fear behind a wall of anger. “What are you planning?”

“Hn?” He hadn't expected that. Kakuzu was intrigued. Had this pathetic excuse of a man discovered something he shouldn't have? In that case, he should just kill him now. _But there's no telling what he's told others._ “I’ll ask something first. You've been trying to get rid of my partner and I since the beginning. Why is that? I would think we've done more than earn our keep.”

Wanabi didn't answer right away and seemed to choose his words carefully, but the torrent of emotions in his eyes showed that he had much to say. “You show up out of the blue saying you want to join us, carrying a pocket full of cash. Sell yourself as a low-end bounty hunter but no one's ever heard of you. And yet the cash is pouring in.”

“You all seemed quite happy to have money. Making it is what I'm good at,” Kakuzu said with a small hint of pride in his voice.

The trembling worm in his hand bit back a retort and continued to glower at him. Then he seemed to remember something. “How did you get that necklace? Your target was the leader of Thunder Arrow - one of our biggest competitors. How did you manage to get it and come back without a scratch?” The rest of Wanabi's followers seemed keen on hearing Kakuzu's answer as well.

_So my suspicions were right: Wanabi_ was _behind that assignment._ Kakuzu scoffed as he dropped the man. “We only had to fight a few of them,” he lied. “The rest were away somewhere else.”

“So you're saying,” Wanabi rubbed his throat, “that the entire group wasn't around and you were able to handle the few that remained?” He sounded doubtful, or perhaps even terrified of what Kakuzu's answer may be.

“Yes. The remainder were drunk. They hardly put up a fight.” Kakuzu watched relief flood over Wanabi.

“I see,” he responded, but there was hesitation in his movements. He kept an eye on Kakuzu as he half turned to his followers. “I’ve made a mistake. I had thought that maybe you were a spy sent here from one of our enemies. But it appears I'm wrong. My… apologies.”

_What utter bullshit. Though, thinking we were spies? That was unexpected._ Kakuzu grit his teeth (not that anyone could tell). “It is understandable.” Damn it all how he wanted to split this bastard’s skull open. “These days it's hard to trust a new face.”

“... Right.” Wanabi’s voice trailed off. He then nodded to his companions and took off.

“For fucks sake, Kakuzu. I don't know why we just didn't kill them. He’ll just pull this shit again.” Hidan finally broke his silence. “You know, I still could kill him.” He smiled as he raised his scythe to his mouth. “They wouldn't know what happened.”

Kakuzu tossed the idea around. It would be inconspicuous; none of them would know why Wanabi suddenly died. But… Hidan and he were the last to touch him. That would lead to accusations that they had done something. Perhaps even suggest a timed jutsu or poison

“No. You'll get your chance.” Kakuzu began walking towards the Crows hideout once again.

Hidan scoffed in frustration. “You never let me have any fun.” Kakuzu heard the sound of Hidan's scythe digging into the ground before the quickened footsteps behind him caught up. Hidan reached his side with a look of irritation.

Kakuzu supposed he should be thankful that his partner was obeying him for now. _But if Wanabi pulls another stunt like that, I won't be able to stop Hidan. Hell, I won't even try. That weasel deserves what he has coming._

Kakuzu turned his attention back to Hidan. “You'll get your chance, Hidan,” Kakuzu reiterated. “All I ask is for your patience.”

Hidan hummed as he thought. His gaze pierced Kakuzu in an effort to distinguish if what he heard was true or if Kakuzu was just feeding him lies to keep him quiet. “We’ll see,” he frowned.

Kakuzu sighed inwardly. At this rate, he wasn't going to be able to control Hidan for much longer. Although, he could hardly say the same for himself. Wanabi's antics were really beginning to piss him off. Had Hidan not made the first move back there, Kakuzu was sure he'd have left behind a few bodies in his anger. Even if either of them did murder a few members, it'd hardly hinder Kakuzu's plans. They just needed to hold out a little longer. Long enough until he finds the information he had been seeking for months. Then he could leave this all behind.

Even Hidan.

Hidan was an inconvenient convenient tool for him. His lack of being able to die was an immense help in a fight, not that Kakuzu minded killing a comrade, but it was his big mouth that really fueled Kakuzu's temper. There was no such thing as a perfect partner - one has to take the good with the bad. Except Hidan was everything he hated in a person. His foul-mouthed religious fanatic of a partner wasted time in his drawn out rituals, constantly complained, and never thought things through. He was, by far, one of the biggest idiots Kakuzu has had the displeasure of associating with.

Kakuzu had hoped that by now Hidan would have been fed up with him and either fully committed to killing him or parted ways. But the man continued to stick around like they were obligated to be together. He had come to the conclusion that the only reason Hidan clung to him was because he was lonely. Hidan had spent his entire existence devoted to a god that he had nobody else to turn to to fill the void of isolation. It was the only explanation Kakuzu could think of as for why Hidan had brought him back. He had to be the only person in Hidan’s world that had remained by his side the longest. And that hadn't even been voluntary. Their partnership was entirely forced upon in their time spent in Akatsuki.

Kakuzu groaned in disgust as he and Hidan approached the hideout entrance. He hadn't meant for that to be out loud. After being lost in his thoughts, the sound, in a way, escaped him.

Hidan chimed in agreement as they headed inside. “Hey, we could have been done with this place a few minutes ago had you not gotten in the way.”

“Be quiet, Hidan.” It was the wrong place to be speaking such things.

“I’m just saying, it could have all been over with,” Hidan continued.

Kakuzu halted and snapped around. “Not. Now.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hidan waved him off. “At least let me have a little fun.”

Kakuzu growled in annoyance and resumed walking, disregarding the urge to hit him at the sound of his partner’s sneer. Instead he listened to the drunken merriment of the men and women of the Crows. Their music was obnoxiously loud, there was an odd mixed aroma of fresh food and garbage and the floor was sticky from spilled beer. Around him, members stumbled and laughed and seemed to reminisce of old times.

Kakuzu quickened his pace into the office but lost Hidan in the process. A quick look around provided him no results, and wondering where Hidan slipped off too was quickly interrupted when Oogura spoke up.

“Kakushu, you've been a hardworking member of the Crowsssh,” Oogura slurred. Cheeks tinged red and unfocused glassy eyes, he took another swig of the beer in his hand. “We're having a little shelebration. You should join!” He laughed as if he had made a joke.

“I’ll consider it,” Kakuzu replied.

“Anywaysh, thatshnot what I called you here for.” Oogura leaned forward and waved a finger. “I like what you're doing, so, I need you to keep doing what you're doing.”

_As if that wasn't painfully obvious_. “Of course. I’ll do what I can.” Kakuzu bowed and took his leave once he was certain Oogura had nothing left to contribute. Outside the office, he looked around in search of Hidan, but his partner was out of sight. “Hmm.” Kakuzu headed for the exit until he heard the distinct cackle from behind. Kakuzu breathed a heavy sigh and slumped his shoulders. _Augh, damn it. Why can't he just do what I want?_

Kakuzu headed towards the back and the source of the laughing. To his surprise, he found Hidan with someone else's arm around his shoulders and a beer in hand. He was laughing with the others as a few told a tale that was apparently humorous to them. What Kakuzu couldn't understand was how Hidan could be this far into the hideout and not break down into a panic attack.

One noticed his staring and called out, “Hey, you! Come and join us! You two never hang around!” Kakuzu glared silently back. “Okay…” Awkwardly, the man backed off.

Kakuzu turned his scowl on Hidan. It took a moment for the idiot to notice Kakuzu and when he did, he waved him over. Kakuzu didn't budge. The others around him shuffled further and further away as they picked up on Kakuzu's annoyance. Hidan's grin faded as he picked up on it too.

Kakuzu held his gaze as he moved to leave, lingering a moment to make sure Hidan got his silent message. When he turned his back and headed out from the crowd, he heard Hidan say, “I gotta go,” and the others whine after him.

“You really know how to ruin everything,” Hidan accused once they were outside.

_Honestly, how can he be this slow?_ Sometimes Kakuzu found himself wondering if Hidan’s stupidity was all an act. The man hardly seemed like he had any brains with half the garbage he constantly spewed from his big mouth and the few moments Hidan actually showed any sign of intelligence, and by few he meant a number he could count to on one hand, had always led Kakuzu to believe that his partner, although not the brightest, was capable of being strategic and calculating.

But this was beyond stupid.

“You shouldn't grow any fondness for people you've sworn to kill,” Kakuzu scolded.

Hidan crossed his arms. “It's not like I need to like them to have fun. It'll be even more fun once I do actually kill them because they'll be all freaked out that a _comrade_ turned on them.” Hidan wagged a finger in Kakuzu's direction. “And besides, I’ve sworn to kill you too.”

“Oh?” He knew that, one day, Hidan would be the one to finish him off. Whether the lunatic did it out of spite or because Kakuzu wanted him to had yet to be determined. Though this was the first that Hidan had said it while sane.

But another thought had nagged at him. Hidan never straight out said he liked being around Kakuzu. He certainly threw enough hatred towards him, but if he really hated him, he’d have killed him by now.

The thought that Hidan actually cared about him… It made him uncomfortable to imagine Hidan sympathetic towards anyone other than himself, least of all Kakuzu. But loneliness wasn't enough to explain why Hidan had brought him back and it ate at the back of Kakuzu's mind.

“Yeah, so get off your high horse and let me enjoy myself,” Hidan nearly shouted back.

_Or perhaps not,_ Kakuzu continued his thoughts. One of Hidan’s end goals was to kill Shikamaru Nara, the Leaf brat who had outsmarted him and left him to rot. Kakuzu had been indirectly threatened to assist, which, in retrospect, made sense. Getting help on revenge typically required someone equally motivated and Kakuzu would fit the requirements.

Except Kakuzu had no desire to. He'll admit, at first he wanted nothing more than to tear all of the Leaf apart. But now? Now that he's had time to process this new era? Now that he knows that the very Jinchuriki brat who had defeated him all those years ago was, not only the Hokage, but also the world’s hero? No. Vengeance was an impossible path when that child had long surpassed him.

Hidan’s revenge was a fool’s errand and Kakuzu was not going to get wrapped up in a suicide mission. He quietly hoped Hidan lost all interest. It had been awhile since he'd last mentioned it but Hidan would certainly not forget. Couldn't forget. The mental and emotional toll that Hidan suffered would never let him overlook it. He was a broken man beyond repair.

Kakuzu sighed loudly, which warranted a response from Hidan asking him sarcastically what he had to sigh about. It was as if he was insinuating that Kakuzu didn't have any problems in life. If only Hidan would realize that he was the cause of his rising stress levels, then maybe he'd learn to behave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try to update at least once a month. I've recently adopted a dog and he's consumed a lot of my time. He's a good boy, just so much energy. I've also been working on a werewolf AU of everyone's favorite Akatsuki couples. I hope to get that up and running soon too.


	24. Chapter 24

Kakuzu and Hidan spent the next few weeks collecting bounties to satisfy the Crows overspending. Their jackets now adorned the patches, having only been fashioned after Oogura complained that they weren't representing the Crows without them. They both hated wearing it.

Kakuzu had a new sense of appreciation for Akatsuki's signature cloak and he found he was often missing it. At least the red cloud pattern had meaning, though, he wasn't sure what the rings were ever for. He had his suspicions that they were how Pain kept an eye on everyone but he never delved too far into that matter.

The ridiculous patch that he had sewed on half-assedly was more of an embarrassment. He didn't want to be associated with the Crows and certainly didn't want the Crow’s reputation to become well known. Kakuzu’s (let’s be honest, Hidan didn’t contribute much) work was the group's main source of income. It was pathetic. Over thirty members and not a one of them had worked a day in their life. How they have survived up until now was a mystery and at this point, Kakuzu no longer cared enough to figure that out.

Hidan wasn't happy either. He complained that it ruined his overall appeal and attracted the occasional oddball asking him questions about the patch’s meaning. He never answered any man who approached him. He would just yell at them to fuck off and mind their own business. But with women, Hidan basked in their attention. He’d even somehow turned it into a competition with Kakuzu, not that Kakuzu actively participated, and liked to gloat in the hopes of pissing him off. Angering Kakuzu seemed to be Hidan’s sole purpose in life.

It was obnoxious. Hidan didn't need an organization’s emblem to attract anyone - it was just an easy conversation starter. His somewhat exotic good looks paired with his confident attitude would draw anyone's eye to him, but no one was perfect. Once he starts talking about his religion, most people turn away. It didn't help that it was a faith no one had even heard of and he often became too overzealous for anyone to enjoy the conversation any longer. If Kakuzu weren’t so stubborn in showing emotion, he'd be grinning at how fast some of them ran away.

The pair began camping out on most nights only staying at motels when Kakuzu seemed willing enough to spend money. They traveled in all weather conditions - it had been an unusually rainy autumn on this side of the continent - and Kakuzu had to mentally block out all of Hidan's complaints. He was doing surprisingly well at restraining himself from beating Hidan senseless but he could only ignore his partner for so long.

It was becoming excruciatingly difficult to reserve himself due to his lack of rest. Hidan yelled and whimpered and thrashed around so often in his sleep that the smaller interruptions were starting to become white noise to Kakuzu.

On bad nights, Hidan hardly slept. Having woken both himself and Kakuzu, he often lied awake in the silence. There were some nights the dreams must have felt so real he couldn't breathe for the first minute and then those nightmares would kick-start a panic attack. Kakuzu would ignore him, not that there was anything he could do, and Hidan seemed fine with it. Who could blame him? It was humiliating to be reduced to a trembling infant.

The worst was when he was in tears. They both hated crying because crying meant one was weak but on some rare nights Hidan couldn't help it. He tried to hide his sniveling as best as he could but Kakuzu was always aware. He didn't have to be awake to know Hidan had been crying - the reddened, inflamed eyes were always a dead giveaway. And on most of those mornings Hidan was often solemn and uncharacteristically quiet. Not wanting his voice to betray how he was really feeling, Hidan kept conversations short. All the better for Kakuzu. It was the one good thing to come from Hidan’s anxiety.

Since the two were never in a rush, Kakuzu avoided paths that cut through mountains or just went underground in general in the hopes of avoiding one of Hidan’s panic attacks. After that first incident in the Kiretsu Passage, Kakuzu had learned his lesson in forcing Hidan into such places. It had taken Hidan days to get over it and Kakuzu decided that if he wanted to experience life a second time, he should avoid ending their relationship on bad terms. Keep in mind, overpowering Hidan wasn't the problem; outliving him? Impossible. Hidan would chew his own arm off before getting trapped again and he'd never stop trying to kill Kakuzu if he felt he was betrayed.

So if Kakuzu was going to remain on his good side, he let Hidan spoil himself. If they were in a town with a reasonably priced motel, Kakuzu let them stay the night. Eventually he stopped by more expensive food stalls and even gave Hidan an allowance. Kakuzu figured why not spend a little more on themselves? Most of what they made was going to be thrown away by the idiots at home base anyways.

And by doing so, Hidan was becoming more reliant on money. Now that he knew he could have a hot meal, a more comfortable place to sleep, and fresh clothes, he seemed keener in helping Kakuzu on his endeavors. But it was a double-edged sword. With more time spent in comfort it meant that on nights they had to camp and hunt for food, Hidan complained more.

~~~

Hidan poked at the skewered fish and wrinkled his nose in disgust. He'd lost his appetite, what little of one he had, and had overcooked the fish in the flames of their campfire. He hated fish. The taste, the smell, it's dead bug-eyed expression - and he'd eaten so much of it on their travels as of late that just looking at it made him nauseous.

He glanced over at Kakuzu and saw he was finishing up eating his own catch. Hidan shifted his seating on the small rock he was using as a seat and waved his speared fish on a stick at his partner. “Want mine? I'm not hungry.”

Kakuzu eyed him and tossed the remains of his meal into the fire. “You didn't eat yesterday and hardly anything today. You should at least force yourself to eat something.”

Hidan leaned into his palm while he whipped his meager meal in the hopes it would fly off. At least then he would have an excuse not to eat it. “Like I said, I’m not hungry.” His crispy fish was really stuck onto the end. “I’ll eat some berries, maybe, but I can't stomach another fish.”

“You're being too picky,” Kakuzu scolded him. “Food provides energy. If you have no energy, then you die. A shinobi should be able to eat anything to maintain their survival.”

Kakuzu spoke as if Hidan was unaware of how the human body worked and that soured his mood. He didn’t spend twenty years eating bugs and dirt to be criticized about survival. He tossed his dinner into the fire out of spite, watching Kakuzu for a moment, daring him to say something, but silence was returned. “I'm going to sleep,” Hidan said as he got up from his spot. He curled up with his back to the fire and used an arm for a pillow as he lay down.

He wasn't tired. Well, tired of being lectured but not sleepy tired. He didn't wait on finding out who was taking first watch - what would be the point? Kakuzu always took it. So he stared blankly into the woods listening to the crackling of the fire.

Hidan wasn't sure how much time had passed before he took up watch. He had become proficient in emptying his mind to make time irrelevant.

The nights were beginning to get a lot colder so they built bigger fires and kept it going throughout the night. Whoever was awake was in charge of gathering wood to fuel it but that meant bracing the cold air while traipsing through the forest in the dead of night.

It was a little unnerving. The trees blocked out the moonlight and owls screeched overhead. To Hidan, it always felt like he was being watched.

He never strayed too far from the camp and typically gathered wood in the immediate area. He didn't enjoy the total blackness. The sliver of moon provided almost no help and Hidan found himself tripping over tree roots and rocks and when his arms were full of sticks and broken branches, he was stabbed every time he stumbled.

Kakuzu quietly slept against one of the rock walls he built, or at least that's what Hidan assumed he was doing. The way he rested was the same awake and asleep - if he ever slept. Hidan could whisper his name and Kakuzu would respond to it with his cat-like hearing.

Hidan snapped a few twigs and fed them to the fire. He wished he could sleep but his nightmares were keeping him awake. Compared to a year ago, he slept better now but it wasn't much of an improvement. At least he could stomach food again. After eating insects and dirt for two decades having real food was a blessing. But every now and then he lost his appetite.

Like tonight and yesterday for example. Hidan’s hunger usually coincided with his sleep schedule: the more he slept the hungrier he became. To him it seemed backwards to how the body should operate but he couldn't deny the pattern.

Hidan rubbed his hands as he sat as close as he could to the fire without burning himself. The heat felt so nice and welcoming that he longed to curl up and sleep beside it.

Glancing at Kakuzu, he thought, _I don't know how Kakuzu can just wear the same thing everyday. Hot; cold; rain. How does he not freeze or overheat?_ Hidan envied him. It seemed like Kakuzu was impervious to all weather conditions. While Hidan shivered in the cold rains, Kakuzu walked without a hitch. It was aggravating.

Hidan shrunk further into his jacket. He was going to have to buy something warmer because the one he wore now wasn't doing a good enough job. At least he had been smart enough to buy boots. As restricting as they may be, it was better than numb toes.

He tossed more kindling into the fire knowing morning was approaching. The sun hadn't hit the horizon yet but the sky was beginning to lighten and the nearby birds were starting their daily twittering. Hidan glanced back over to Kakuzu on the other side of the flames. He had one eye open focused on Hidan. He wasn't sure how long Kakuzu had been watching him but now that he was awake they were going to leave the comfort of the fire soon.

Hidan sighed. _At least I’m not hungry ‘cause knowing Kakuzu we won't be eating until we hit the next town._

Right on schedule, Kakuzu got up and dusted off his pants. He wove a couple of hand signs and the walls around them lowered back into the ground. He then proceeded to kick dirt into the fire causing a large amount of smoke as the flames died down. Hidan whined as the heat left with it. “Get up, Hidan,” Kakuzu told him.

“Couldn't we have waited for the sun to come out and warm up the air?” Annoyed, he looked up at Kakuzu.

“You'll warm up when you move.” Kakuzu finished killing the fire and began gathering up his things (which was just his briefcase of money and pack with spare clothes).

Hidan moaned again. “Well, can we at least stop somewhere so I can get a thicker coat?” He brushed off the debris on his pants, picked up his own pack and adjusted the scythe on his back. “It feels like it could snow it's so damn cold out.”

“You're exaggerating. Now let's go.” Kakuzu headed towards the path they had veered off of from yesterday to make camp.

“I'm not _exaggerating_. I can see my breath in the air that's how cold it is!” Hidan breathed out heavily to make his point.

Kakuzu’s brow dropped. Clearly he was unimpressed. “A little cold never hurt anyone.”

Hidan tucked his arms inside his jacket. “Oh, sure. You can say that while standing there all bundled up while my fingers feel frozen.”

He heard Kakuzu sigh in annoyance. “This is the same outfit I wore all summer; you don't see me complaining.”

“That's ‘cause something's wrong with you. I bet you can't even feel anything with that fucked up body of yours,” Hidan grumbled.

Kakuzu was silent after Hidan’s remark as if what was said was true. It could be for all Hidan knew. Kakuzu's body wasn't exactly human anymore so who knew if he could feel anything. But then he heard Kakuzu mutter, “Che, you're one to talk.”

Hidan whipped around with a snarl. “What was that?” Kakuzu stopped walking and faced him. “My body is perfect! I was bestowed everlasting life by Jashin-sama! Like my outwards appearance my insides are where they are supposed to be! At least I'm not some science project gone wrong!”

Hidan ducked as Kakuzu went to grab him and skillfully pulled out his spear while he launched at Kakuzu. His thrust stopped mere inches from Kakuzu's chest as it was caught. Hidan twisted his body around and kicked a foot towards Kakuzu's jaw but Kakuzu saw it coming, moved just out of the way of Hidan’s attack, and grabbed him by the ankle. Hidan started in surprise as he left the ground momentarily and landed face down into the ground and felt the air leave him as Kakuzu drove a knee into his back. Kakuzu then proceeded to grab his arms and twist them behind him.

It hurt. Kakuzu pinned him against the half frozen dirt and pushed Hidan’s arms further up his back until Hidan finally caved and said, “Ow, ow, ow! That fucking hurts!” Hidan bared his teeth in anger and pain as he tried to look at Kakuzu. _Dammit! Dammit! DAMMIT! He overpowered me again!_

“Submit,” Kakuzu told him.

_Why not just tear off my arms? It's not like you to hold back._ “Fuck you,” Hidan spat. “Ow! Ow!” he whined as Kakuzu applied more pressure. “Bastard! I can't wait for the day Jashin-sama punishes you.”

“Hmph. You should ask him to give you warmer weather so I don't have to listen to you bitch.” Kakuzu pushed harder and Hidan yelled out in pain.

His cry turned into a growl. He couldn't give Kakuzu the satisfaction of beating him. Not today. He analyzed the situation and thought back to what had triggered Kakuzu. It had to be his comment on his appearance. Hidan twisted his mouth into a lopsided grin. “Heh, heh. You're just being pissy ‘cause you’re jealous. That's it, isn't it? Ah-” Hidan bit back his yelp as Kakuzu leaned into his knee. “Jashin-sama has given me a body that can't die without taking away my good looks while you have to hide behind a mask because of your fugly mug-AH!” There was a disturbing pop in his left shoulder. “Fffuck!” Hidan pressed his forehead against the ground as he tried to handle his newly dislocated shoulder. He heaved a breathy laugh. “I really hit a sensitive topic for you, didn't I? Who knew you were this much of a bi-nngg!” The pain nearly brought tears to his eyes.

He felt Kakuzu shift and then pull his head back by his hair. “You should learn to keep your mouth shut,” Kakuzu breathed into his ear. Hidan’s skin crawled at their sudden closeness. “I'm not the one who blows up every time someone bad mouths their god.”

Hidan grinned. “Nah, you just blow up on everything else.” Kakuzu slammed Hidan’s face into the dirt. After another breath or two, Kakuzu left, presumably done punishing him. Hidan rolled onto his good side and sat up. His left shoulder throbbed and hung loosely against him. “Hey, what about my arm?”

“Fix it yourself,” Kakuzu called back.

Hidan had expected more of a beating. If Kakuzu was going to go as far as he did, Hidan wasn't sure why he had stopped. _Maybe it's his way of trying to prove me wrong,_ Hidan contemplated. But Kakuzu was leaving him behind and if Hidan didn't hurry, he was going to lose him. He repositioned his shoulder and braced himself against a tree. Hidan pushed as hard as he could but the joint wouldn't move back into place. He swore repeatedly as he tried again.

It really hurt.

He wildly looked at Kakuzu but his so-called partner was still walking away. Hidan yelled in frustration and picked up his things. He was in too much pain to think straight and was worried he was about to be deserted. He ran after Kakuzu while holding his limp arm and hoped the man would show a little mercy.

~~~

Kakuzu stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel to dry himself off. He felt better about spending money more often these days since he knew it'd just be wasted at the grubby hands of Oogura and his mouth breathers. Thus, he'd grown accustomed to sleeping in a bed instead of out in the elements. It also meant feeling clean more often.

They didn't stop every night. Mostly when the weather wasn't in their favor and a town with an inexpensive inn was nearby. But they certainly ate better. Kakuzu did at least. Hidan's hunger fluctuated on a day-to-day basis. It wasn't hard to see the pattern: the less sleep Hidan got, the smaller his appetite. At the moment, Hidan has survived off a small bite of a protein bar for the past two days. Kakuzu wasn't sure if he had slept at all last night but it wasn't his concern. He didn't really need Hidan anymore now that his chakra had built up to a decent size. He had half hoped that after their spat this morning Hidan would have left and Kakuzu would worry about the consequences of Hidan’s big mouth when the time came.

But of course that didn't happen. His masochistic partner came running after him despite the dislocated shoulder.

Kakuzu finished dressing and blow-drying his hair until it was just a little damp and returned to the bedside. He glanced at the other bed. Having already showered, Hidan lay curled up with back to him; he held a hand on his shoulder as if it were still painful. Kakuzu had decided Hidan had been punished long enough and had popped it back into place after Hidan had bathed. He didn't get any thanks or even an angry glare. Hidan just shuffled quietly into his bed and ignored him.

Hardly a bother for Kakuzu. It had been a peaceful day without Hidan running his mouth and he hoped that it would be a quiet night. But whom was he kidding? Hidan was overdue for sleep and will end up waking them both up tonight.

~~~

Kakuzu jolted awake, fists at the ready at the sound of a scream. Not seeing any immediate threat, Kakuzu relaxed some and processed what he'd heard. He glared over at Hidan, who sat upright, shivering with his face between his knees.

_God dammit. Another one of his wretched nightmares._ He flopped back onto the bed and growled loud enough so that Hidan heard him. _I shouldn't have to deal with this bullshit._

~~~

Hidan forced himself to eat more in contradiction of the absence of an appetite. Last night he had involuntarily yelled outside of his dream and woken Kakuzu. He didn't feel bad towards his partner considering how envious he was that Kakuzu had no trouble sleeping, but his sore shoulder kept their fight from yesterday fresh in his mind.

Toast with strawberry jam and half a muffin. That's all he could stomach for now. Kakuzu had stopped ordering for him a while ago after seeing Hidan waste plate after plate of food but they were fortunate that the inn they'd stayed at had free breakfast.

It had to be the nicest place they'd slept in. Kakuzu had to have either been really tired or hadn't paid attention to where he had walked into because this really was easily, the best place they've ever stopped at. Hidan hadn't given much thought on observing his surroundings last night but looking at the small dining area - well, come on, it has a dining area. The walls had cheap floral wallpaper and the rug was well worn, but he didn't see any mold or pests and even the other guests looked normal. He wished he could enjoy this place more but Kakuzu was on a schedule.

“Let’s go, Hidan,” Kakuzu said to him. He said that at least three times a day. At this point it should be his catchphrase.

Hidan followed after his partner like a stray dog. He was still stewing over Kakuzu dislodging his shoulder and leaving it that way for the entirety of the day. What if they had been attacked? Hidan didn't want to begin a fight crippled and Kakuzu-

His thoughts backtracked. Kakuzu was strong enough to pin him down now and easily win their fights. He recalled back on their bounty hunts and how they didn't even team up in those either. Did that mean Kakuzu no longer needed him?

Hidan glanced worriedly at Kakuzu. Kakuzu had been fine since their first assignment with the Crows. Back when he'd left Hidan in the tunnel, he went ahead and took care of it. And the slaughter of that other group… _He's shown no interest in getting revenge on the Leaf either. Why hasn't he left me in some hole somewhere? He clearly doesn't need me anymore._ The thought made his heart thump oddly. Hidan shook his head. _No, he must still need me otherwise he'd have ditched me already._

He followed a little closer to Kakuzu as they continued on their way. He was ignored, but for now that was all right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone's support has been fantastic! I wish I could write faster!


	25. Chapter 25

Kakuzu growled low at the realization that he'd lost Hidan. They had returned to Ganban two days ago to drop off their earnings with Oogura and had hung around town to recuperate. However, he had made the mistake of letting Hidan off leash.

The majority of the Crows had warmed up to them. It wasn't because they had gotten to know one another on a personal level - it was because now they were living a life of luxury thanks to ex-Akatsuki pair. It was ignorant and naive to believe that the two of them were anything but enemies but that was what Kakuzu had intended since the beginning.

Night was quickly descending and Hidan had disappeared since noon. Kakuzu was troubled that his idiot of a partner was off causing chaos; the timing seemed likely. During the recent week, Hidan was behaving more like his usual self and had his appetite for bloodshed again. His spell of depression seemed to be over for the time being and that concerned him. Hidan was still itching for a fight with Wanabi and without Kakuzu around to rein him in there was nothing to hold him back. _Wait,_ Kakuzu thought back. _Hidan had left his scythe behind in the hotel room._ So where was the idiot?

Kakuzu reached out his senses. Sensing chakra was easy - he had no difficulty with that. Narrowing down which chakra source was the one he wanted was something he wasn't as skilled at. He told himself to commit Hidan's chakra signature to memory for future moments like this.

Wandering the streets, Kakuzu tried to look as inauspicious as possible - a lot easier to do now that it was dark. He wasn't having much luck finding Hidan and was beginning to believe that the fool had been captured; undoubtedly too easily walked into a trap.

Then he heard that distinct cackle of his as he passed the back entrance of the cabaret. A woman had come out to smoke and had propped the door open presumably so she could get back in. Kakuzu quickly snuck in and navigated through the narrow hallway filled with closed rooms, using the music to guide him. He brushed away the drapes and entered the main area.

He had expected more of a strip club, particularly considering the town he was in, but instead found something closer to a hostess bar. The room was rather dark as was common in adult entertainment to hide the imperfections that would otherwise be obvious in normal lighting. Small accent lights on the floor lit pathways while colored lights along the walls and pillars dappled the ceiling. A U-shaped bar sat in the middle, most of the servers being women while a few danced around poles for the patrons. Many of them were scantily dressed, walking around in underwear, while others adorned dresses and low cut shirts to show off their assets. And surprisingly enough, they were all rather attractive, but the terrible lighting could just be playing tricks. Tables were scattered around with no clear pattern other than to haphazardly fit as many as possible while the lounge areas that were sunken into the floor lined the walls. Though the main employees were women, men worked more behind the scenes: bodyguards, security – just hired muscle, none of which was any real threat.

This didn't seem like Hidan’s usual scene but sure enough, Kakuzu found him lounging in a larger seating area surrounded by about five women. It was hard to tell who was there to entertain and who was just waiting tables. Either way, there was a lot of attention on Hidan.

Kakuzu's brow furrowed. In these types of places, women do not pay attention to someone unless they have money which means his idiot of a partner was throwing around cash when he shouldn't be.

He ignored the girls who were trying to ask if he needed something and approached Hidan. That stupid laugh died when he spotted him.

Hidan’s face fell. “Kakuzu?” He stared a little off in the distance for a moment and then his grin returned, emphasizing his reddened cheeks. “Oi! Kakuzu,” Hidan shouted over the music. “Come join us!” He raised a nearly empty glass of champagne in the air.

“Ooh, a friend of yours?” The dark haired girl on his left asked. She had a hand on his chest and another on his shoulder. Her long black hair curled at the ends and she was watching Kakuzu with bright blue eyes.

“Eh, I don't know if I'd say _friend,_ ” Hidan told them. Then to Kakuzu, “But, hey, who says he can't come party with us, eh, girls?” He laughed loudly as if he'd made a joke and the girls around him giggled.

 _He’s drunk,_ Kakuzu observed. _What is he thinking - ah, right, he doesn't think._ Kakuzu glowered. The girls tried to usher Kakuzu in but he ignored them. “Hidan, you shouldn't be here.”

“Ha? Piss off! I’m having fun,” he yelled back as he swung an arm around one of the girls. The others pouted in false disappointment at Kakuzu's dismissal.

Irritated, but not wanting to cause a scene, he breathed heavily through his nose to calm himself. This place was too public to drag Hidan out of here. He turned to leave and heard the girls behind him ask Hidan for his _‘friend’_ to stay.

“Nah, let him go,” Hidan told them. “No one wants to look at his fugly mug, anyways.” The girls scolded him in response and Hidan laughed.

Kakuzu started heading out before his temper got the better of him when he caught sight of Wanabi. Kakuzu swiftly skirted around a pillar and watched. Wanabi walked through the club with three others at his sides, smiling at every girl he passed. Kakuzu couldn't hear over the music but by his behavior, he was sure Wanabi was looking for someone. The girls he stopped to talk to passed him on from employee to employee until one seemed to know what Wanabi wanted and pointed in Hidan's direction.

“God dammit,” he muttered under his breath. And here he was about to let Hidan have his moment of fun. Kakuzu silently tailed behind Wanabi like a shadow and as he suspected, they headed straight for Hidan.

“Maia,” Wanabi called out. Though all the girls turned, the dark haired beauty beside Hidan responded to the call the most. “What the hell are you doing with that bastard?”

Kakuzu watched Hidan's mind slowly put two and two together as Maia told Wanabi that she was busy entertaining someone else. Wanabi continued to insist she come with him (Maia must be his favorite) until Hidan finally cracked.

“Fuckin’ hell!” he shouted as he rose to his feet and stumbled a little in surprise at his own drunkenness. “This is the first day I get to enjoy myself and you gotta show your stupid fucking face here?” Hidan used one of the girls as leverage to hold himself steady.

Wanabi and the other three Kakuzu didn't know the names of, lined up in a show of force. The girls sensed the danger and moved away while a couple of the male staff moved in after hearing the commotion. Kakuzu stepped out from his hiding place. Hidan might be weaponless but he could still curse someone.

They were in each other’s face, Hidan purposefully egging Wanabi to fight him. Kakuzu needed to intervene. In a blink of an eye, he was behind Hidan, and he wasn’t hiding his anger. Everyone flinched back at Kakuzu's sudden appearance except Hidan. “Hidan, that's enough,” he told him.

Hidan spun around, his face red. “Kakuzu? Fuck off! This fuckface wants to fight and I’m not gonna let him-woagh!”

Kakuzu caught the punch Hidan had poorly aimed at him and twisted him around into a chokehold. “I warned you not to make trouble,” he murmured into Hidan’s ear. To Wanabi and the club employees, he said, “My apologies. He's not very good at holding his alcohol. We’ll be taking our leave.”

“Kakuzu you bastard!” Hidan choked out. “Let me go!”

Kakuzu tightened his hold around Hidan’s neck, savoring in the gurgling sounds he made that only Kakuzu could hear, until Hidan finally passed out. All the males around them still seemed ready for a fight as Kakuzu hauled Hidan over a shoulder. Wanabi looked nervous and cautiously moved out of Kakuzu's way but not without a untrusting yet challenging glare. He eyed Wanabi a little longer than he should have as he passed by, only ensuring the future fight to come. No one stopped him, the employees looking rather relieved that they hadn't needed to get involved, but Wanabi and his three followers were acting suspiciously. Kakuzu noted to watch those four. If they were a part of Wanabi's future coup, Kakuzu's position amongst the group would be compromised.

~~~

Kakuzu dumped Hidan onto one of the beds after returning to the motel and counted himself fortunate that Wanabi hadn’t pursued after them. Restraining his temper after Hidan’s degrading show would have been next to impossible. He was furious.

He stopped pacing the room. _To hell with that. Everyone else should consider themselves fortunate to still be alive._ He wanted to destroy something. Anything.

“Augh… my head,” he heard Hidan behind him. Kakuzu balled his fists and tried to center himself. “Oi, Fuckface? Who the fffffuck do you think you are?” He listened to Hidan leave the bed and curse as he stumbled into the nightstand. “You piece of shit-”

“No! You’re the piece of shit,” Kakuzu whirled around and pointed at Hidan. He quickly snatched him by the throat and slammed him down onto the bed. “What the hell were you thinking?” he asked through clenched teeth. Hidan couldn’t answer on account of Kakuzu’s grip. “I warned you again and again not to draw any attention and what do you do? You go to the one _fucking_ place in this shitty town where _anyone_ would recognize you to waste _my_ money on some cheap whores and alcohol. And now you’ve accelerated things with Wanabi and I doubt we’ll be able to move as freely anymore.” He shoved Hidan’s face away and stepped back. He should snap that neck of his - then he’d feel a little better.

Hidan coughed. “Fuck you. I was only trying to have some fun.” He slipped around as he tried to situate himself onto the bed. “We always do what - what _you_ want. Why can’t I enjoy myself once in a while?”

“Because, Hidan,” he responded bitterly, “your version of ‘fun’ involves making a scene.”

His partner sniffed. “And what’s wrong with that? It’s not like I do it all the time.”

“You’re drunk. You would have exposed us tonight.”

“Phfthpth! I’m not drunk,” he spat out. “I’m-I’m perfectly capable of doing whatever the fuck I want.”

Kakuzu growled. _There’s no reasoning with him like this._ He gathered up his clothes and towel. “Stay put or I’ll make sure you won’t be capable of doing anything.” He held himself back from turning around and strangling Hidan when he caught him mocking him under his breath and continued into the bathroom.

If Hidan so much as thought about leaving, _I’ll kill him._

~~~

Kakuzu exited the bathroom after drying off and spotted Hidan sprawled out on the bed. He was completely out, snoring ungracefully on his back. Kakuzu had listened intently for the sounds of Hidan leaving the room while he showered and was pleasantly surprised he hadn’t, but now he knew why. Hidan had a very low tolerance for alcohol twenty years ago and it seems like that fact hadn’t changed. _Who gets blackout drunk off of champagne?_

He pulled the covers to his bed back and adjusted the pillows before lying down for the night. Casting one last glance at Hidan before turning his back to him, he found the snoring as a much better alternative to the night terrors. He sighed and closed his eyes. _I’ll let tomorrow’s problems be for tomorrow._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter (sorry) but at least it's something!


	26. Chapter 26

He could feel the daggers being sent his way as Hidan followed after him. They’d had another fight since the incident at the club and Kakuzu was beginning to doubt that this partnership was going to succeed. He was sick of Hidan constantly instigating fights with Wanabi and his minions and was ready to let happen whatever would happen just to have some peace.

Keeping Hidan preoccupied was starting to become a chore and no matter how many sacrifices he allowed him, the man was still unsatisfied. Kakuzu knew Hidan was more interested in killing Wanabi than any other of the worthless shinobi but he couldn’t allow that to happen just yet. He still hadn’t received what he wanted.

This time their spat was once again started because Hidan could not control himself. Running into Wanabi in town was inevitable but Kakuzu had hoped Hidan would learn to behave himself better. What a foolish thought.

And Wanabi was just as much at fault as Hidan. The two seemed incapable of even pretending to get along and baited one another into attacking just to have an excuse to fight. However, Wanabi was more hesitant than his Ex-Akatsuki cohort. Having sparred with Hidan already, Wanabi had a good notion on what to expect from him. It was Kakuzu’s presence that made him think twice. His strength was unknown to Wanabi and it caused him to back off on more than one occasion. Having first hand experience, all he knew was that Kakuzu was fast and strong enough to hold a man up by the throat. He made use of that fear by hovering around Hidan. Otherwise, he couldn’t trust them not to kill each other if he allowed the idiot to roam freely.

Their last argument had been because of this. Hidan was fed up with Kakuzu’s constant interference and lectures and had taken a swing at him. Naturally, Kakuzu had no difficulty countering but that only upset Hidan further. Now Kakuzu was on guard expecting another spear through his back. He won’t be able to control Hidan for much longer.

Kakuzu halted outside the door of Oogura’s office and listened to the raised voices on the other side.

“You don’t understand!” he could hear Wanabi shout. “You didn’t see what I saw. Those two aren’t who they say they are. Specially that Kakuzu. I think he’s hiding something and he’s definitely stronger than he’s letting on.”

Oogura answered but was too quiet for Kakuzu to make out what he said.

“And I’m telling you we should keep a closer eye on them!” Wanabi yelled back.

“Enough!” That was clear as day. “Alright, I understand your concerns. I’ll give you…” Oogura’s voice became inaudible once again.

“Hmm,” Kakuzu thought. This wasn’t good. Wanabi was now stirring the pot and it won’t be long until he convinces Oogura to not trust them.

“Why are you just standing there?” Hidan called out across the room. He had hung back near the entrance too pissed to want to engage in conversation with Oogura.

Kakuzu glared at him for not keeping quiet but it was luck that he’d stayed behind. It was for the better that he not hear what had just transpired. Kakuzu knocked on the door and heard the hushed tones behind it. A second later, Wanabi swung it open at first looking pissed for being interrupted and then startled at seeing Kakuzu. Kakuzu maintained his composure, not letting Wanabi see that he’d heard his plotting but he looked at Kakuzu suspiciously anyways. “If I may,” Kakuzu spoke up, “I’d like to speak with Oogura and get my next assignment.”

Wanabi eyed him warily, glanced inside, presumably at Oogura, and moved aside to let the taller man in. He lingered at the door then made himself comfortable on the frame with arms crossed as Kakuzu entered. Oogura looked tired and frustrated, no doubt from arguing with Wanabi, but that was the least of Kakuzu’s concerns.

Oogura cast one quick glance at Wanabi then returned his attention to Kakuzu. With a forced smile, he welcomed him, “Kakuzu, what can I do for you?”

“It’s been a week since Hidan and I returned. Hidan’s simple mind needs to keep busy and standing around with nothing to do is getting him into trouble.” He heard a disapproving sound from Wanabi. Kakuzu had hoped that by throwing Hidan to the wolves he’d lessen the suspicions on him but Oogura didn’t seem to accept his bait as easily as before. _Wanabi has gotten into his head,_ Kakuzu thought.

“His ‘simple mind…’” Oogura tossed that thought around for a moment.

“If he’s an idiot,” Wanabi interrupted, “then why keep him around?”

Kakuzu turned towards Wanabi some so it didn’t appear as though he was ignoring him. “A distant relative dumped him on me years ago. Hidan’s always been a problem child and his family finally got fed up with him.” He was impressed with himself for coming up with an excuse without premeditating it.

“So what?” Wanabi snapped. “He’s an adult - let him take care of himself.”

Kakuzu shifted his footing so he faced Wanabi. “And how well do you think that’d go for you?” He fixed a hard glare on Wanabi and he saw the gears turning inside that thick skull. Wanabi has had a few close brushes with death when it came to fighting with Hidan. He should have realized sooner that the only reason he hadn’t been killed off yet was because Kakuzu kept Hidan in line.

“What kind of trouble?” Oogura broke in.

Kakuzu returned his attention back to his leader. “Simply put, Hidan needs to be constantly stimulated or he takes his excess energy out on whoever pisses him off first.” Kakuzu grinned under his mask. “Wanabi has first hand experience.”

“He’s a psychopath. He needs to be locked up or put down,” Wanabi responded.

Kakuzu suppressed a laugh. Putting Hidan down? Impossible. And he’d chew his own arm off before getting locked up.

“And _you_ can control him?” Oogura questioned. Kakuzu could hear the doubt in his voice. Or maybe it was a rising concern. It seemed Oogura was aware of his partner’s antics.

He frowned. If he said the wrong thing now it’d only worsen his position. “Hidan doesn’t listen to authority unless there’s something in it for him. I can’t control him,” Kakuzu stated. He watched Oogura’s reactions carefully. If Kakuzu was reading him right, he was conflicted. “Hidan only listens maybe half the time. I have to use force to get him to cooperate if he doesn’t.”

There was an uneasy growl from Wanabi. “So,” Oogura chimed in; he was rubbing his temples as he thought. “You’re essentially babysitting him, making sure he stays out of trouble while simultaneously working to make a living. When you first joined, you said the two of you are a team who didn’t need help,” he shook his hand at Kakuzu to emphasize what he was saying. “But from what I gather, does he actually do anything?”

Kakuzu folded his arms and sighed. He was really putting on airs to convince them. “He’s a rebellious child. But he has his uses.”

Oogura tilted his head and folded his hands on top of his desk. “So why take him along? Why not leave him here and bring someone else on your hunts? Someone who could actually help and not get in the way?”

Just what had Wanabi told Oogura? Kakuzu wanted to tell them that if they wanted dead members then why not send them along? But he kept his mouth shut. They already had their suspicions, no need to fuel them.

“Are you hiding something that you don’t want anyone to discover?” Oogura snapped around and glared at Wanabi for speaking out. “Is Hidan part of some dying clan that needs to be protected?” he continued, ignoring his leader’s silent warning.

_Oh? That was unexpected. Maybe I can make use of this._

“Well? The silver hair and red eyes stands out. Physical traits like that tend to be inherited,” Wanabi added.

_Is he still upset that Hidan got more attention from the girls at that club? Hmm. Either way…_ Kakuzu tilted his head back some in an attempt to appear reluctant. “I suppose I can divulge,” he pretended like he had some secret information, “that Hidan is from an old clan. A nearly extinct one. I can’t say what he inherited other than looks because I don’t know. He was given to me because he was a disappointment.”

“I see,” Oogura commented. “I’m still a tad confused on why you were given the responsibility. You were a convicted criminal, no? And the two of you look nothing alike to be related.”

“We’re not related by blood,” he answered flatly. “As an outsider I was not allowed to know the secrets of the clan. Only, protect it. Something I’d rather do away with but the consequences would be… worse than imprisonment.”

“So you have no choice in the matter?”

“Precisely.” This was going a lot smoother than Kakuzu initially predicted but it was becoming tiresome to keep up this lie.

“Well that explains _some_ things,” Wanabi spoke more to himself than the others.

“Wanabi,” Oogura warned. Then he sighed and leaned back. He was tired of this subject as well. “I appreciate your honesty, but this should have been mentioned months ago. However, I know clan business can be... complicated.”

“I’m glad you can understand,” he dipped his head some. _What a waste of my time, though, what does Oogura know of clans?_ Kakuzu quickly glanced at Wanabi. He looked upset that he was only just finding out all of this too but was clearly hesitant in accepting it as the full truth. Kakuzu had to admit it was a little _too_ convenient to be acceptable, but it was Oogura’s ultimate decision on what further actions take place.

Oogura threw his hands up. “Alright. You came here for a job and I do have one for you.” He pulled out a folder from his desk and opened it. Two pictures lay on top, both men. One had short-cropped black hair with dark eyes and a scar on the left cheek; the other was similar in appearance but his eyes and hair were a lighter brown and lacked any disfigurement. Kakuzu was a little taken aback - Oogura never had anything this well prepared for him. “Shin Takiyagi,” he pointed to the brunette, “and Izura Douma.” The dark haired man. “These two were once members but deserted us a year or so back. I’ve kept tabs on them and their last whereabouts was with a small organization to the south in the Land of Wind. I’ll be blunt: this is an assassination assignment,” Oogura explained. “I have some information on them, like their skillset and what they tend to favor, but not enough to really prepare.” He handed Kakuzu the documents. “The most difficult part would be getting either of them alone without alerting the others.” Kakuzu flipped through the pages. It wasn’t much information but it was better than nothing. “So, do you think you can do it?”

He closed the folder. “Yes, Hidan and I will head out tonight.”

Oogura frowned. “Are you sure you don’t want a larger team?”

_So he’s still suspicious. No matter._ Kakuzu shook his head. “Perhaps if we get some practice in the future, then yes. At the moment, all we’d end up doing is stepping on each other’s toes.”

Surprise lit Oogura’s face as if he’d never thought about what Kakuzu had just said. “I suppose you’re right,” he recovered. His fingers interlaced and he propped up on his elbows. “We’ll have to get some team building exercises set up in the future. Some of the others are letting their skills get rusty.” He smiled at Kakuzu as he leaned into his hands.

Kakuzu bowed slightly while agreeing before taking his leave. Wanabi still looked unhappy and watched Kakuzu as he left. _Hmph. Whether he trusts me or not isn’t important._

He met up with Hidan at the entrance who noticed the folder in his hand. “What’s that?” he asked.

“Our next mission,” Kakuzu told him.

“Oh?” He started to walk beside Kakuzu and then stopped when something behind them caught his eye.

Kakuzu could take a guess. “Ignore him, Hidan.”

Hidan growled, unsure if he should listen. “It’d only take an instant to kill him,” he muttered.

“Why make it quick?” Kakuzu told him.

“Hm?” Hidan spun around. “Are you saying I can kill him right now?” he questioned excitedly, a smile lightening the entirety of his face, right down to his red-violet eyes.

“Hmph,” Kakuzu snapped his head away. “Not today.”

“Tch! Then why give me the hope?”

Kakuzu looked up at the sky. “Because, you’ll get your chance very soon.” He started to walk away and Hidan followed suit.

“You keep saying ‘soon’, ‘soon’ but this time I feel like you mean it. Somethin’ happen in that meeting?”

He kept quiet for a moment. “Hmm. Something…”


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since the last couple of chapters weren't all that exciting, I decided to post a little earlier! Enjoy~!

Kakuzu flipped through the pages of his bingo book while they walked, positive that he’d seen the two men Oogura had assigned him to kill somewhere in it. The documents only provided a brief outlook of their target’s skills - not really enough to go on. But it was more than what he'd been provided with in the past. Oogura had only given him names, maybe a general location. These two, it seemed, must have really upset the Crow leader if he kept tabs on them.

He paused on the page of a familiar face. Though the hair in the photo was blonde, the face was unchanged. Sunara: Oogura’s woman. The picture looked back at Kakuzu during a time when she was still Hidden Sand. And a missing A-rank at that. To think someone so strong was hiding in this group of incompetent men. It irked Kakuzu that he hadn’t found this out sooner. To hell with Wanabi, she was the bigger threat. Reading her bio, his face twitched in contempt. Oogura had mentioned understanding clan troubles; he must have been referring to his lover because no other Crow members were this skilled.

Growling, Kakuzu folded the corner of the page to come back to it later. Right now he needed to focus on the mission at hand.

_Ah,_ Kakuzu thought as he found one of them. _Izura Douma._ An A-rank rogue shinobi. Wind style user. Originally Hidden Rain. _Hmm,_ Kakuzu contemplated. _The others he had us hunt down were C-rank. If Hidan and I take these two down, which I have no doubt that we can, they'll know for sure that the two of us are a lot stronger than we’ve let on._ He glanced over at Hidan who was walking quietly with his head leaning back into his arms. _Completing this mission will put a target on our backs._ He turned his attention back to the book. _No matter. This was temporary to begin with._

~~~

Yawning, Hidan sat bored out of his mind while he waited on Kakuzu's signal to start the fight. They had spent two days traveling to the Land of Wind and another half scoping out the area. He thought it was unusual for Kakuzu to plan so much but he supposed taking on two or more A-rank ninjas was a good enough excuse.

But it was still boring as hell.

Kakuzu sat waiting across from him on the other side of the road. There wasn't much for cover and an ambush wasn't going to be very successful with the lack of anything in these deserts. Some large boulders, a stunted tree here or there and maybe an outcrop of rocks to hide behind were about all that was around. But Kakuzu was insistent that they wait here because the hideout was nearby.

With the early afternoon sun beating down on them, he hoped they showed up soon - he was starting to get hungry. Hidan blew a raspberry. _This sucks. Why can't we just storm in and get it over with?_

He started to doze off when something hit him in the face. Hidan sprung up and rubbed his cheek. “What the fuck?” he asked, looking around. He found a small, sharp stone not far from where his head had been and immediately sent a glare in Kakuzu's direction. With the intention of yelling and chucking the stone back at him, Hidan prepared to pitch it when Kakuzu put a finger to his mask. He wanted Hidan to be quiet.

Hidan, annoyed, extended his hearing and sure enough, heard the sounds of several people approaching. When they started to come into view, Hidan rose to his feet and adjusted the scythe on his back. “About damn time,” he said as he stretched and grinned and chucked the stone towards Kakuzu the second he looked away. It would have been nice had he not caught it but the returned glare brightened his mood.

Hidan jumped down onto the pathway, fully aware that Kakuzu hadn't wanted him to, and rocked impatiently on his heels. Finally he was going to face some decent shinobi and not the dog shit they’d been hunting for months. He hummed as he waited and laughed when the group of approaching men noticed him. Hidan didn't have the faintest idea if these were the people they were after but in all honesty, he could not care less. All that mattered was that they wore headbands with their village symbol crossed out. That meant they were free game.

There were four of them in total: Sand, Mist and two Rain. The Hidden Mist stood out the most being nearly a foot taller than the other three. He carried a sword on each hip and his headband was covering his left eye. The Sand nin was the second tallest but the widest among them. It was difficult to tell if that was due to how heavily dressed he was or if it was because he was packing on a lot of muscle. Either way, his angular face said that it wasn’t fat. The last two, the Hidden Rain, we're close in size and the way they dressed. Actually, the more Hidan studied them as they approached, the more similar they looked. _Hm, probably brothers, if I had to guess,_ Hidan thought.

Should be easy enough. They didn't look particularly menacing, though their disposition changed entirely at Hidan’s appearance. He grabbed his scythe, spun it around to loosen his wrist, and then pointed it at the group. “Alright, who’s first?”

“Is this some kind of a joke?” The Mist-nin sneered. “I feel like I’m supposed to laugh.”

The Sand guy stepped forward. “He can't be alone. There's no way he’s this big of an idiot.”

“Oi, oi! Don't talk as if I'm not here!”

“Nah,” the Mist one answered as he grabbed the hilt of one of his swords. “I think he really is that stupid.”

“Hm? So you wanna die first, eh?” Hidan turned his body to face him and prepared himself to charge when one of the brothers held up an arm.

“Wait. That symbol. Are you a member of the Crows?” he asked in a raised voice.

Hidan straightened. “Member of…” he glanced at his shoulder. “Oh, yeah.” He turned to the Hidden Rain pair. “I gotta kill one of you retards. Or maybe the both of you, I forget. It doesn’t really matter,” he shrugged. “’Cause I’m gonna sacrifice all of you pussies.”

“Heh,” the Mist guy walked forward, drawing both of his swords. “They say the louder the barking the weaker the dog.”

“If he’s a Crow,” the same Rain nin spoke, “Then he _is_ all bark and no bite. There’s a reason why we left.”

Hidan laughed at the oncoming attack. “Lumping me in with those shit-for-birdbrains is a mistake!” He swung his scythe up to block the Mist’s swing then leapt up as the second sword came in from the side. Hidan twisted around and kicked the man in the face, sending the rogue back a few meters.

The Mist rubbed his reddened face and growled. “Do you need help, Hishiro?” The Sand behind him called.

“Shut up, I got this!” He lifted his hands up, with only the index and middle fingers unfolded, one hand raised in the air, the other to his face. “Hidden Mist Jutsu,” he spoke.

The air around them began to fog as moisture moved in. With the dry desert, the jutsu took longer than usual to become a thick haze around the surrounding area but it eventually seeped in, hiding his opponent.

The Hidden Mist were a sneaky bunch, always using this jutsu to try and get the upper hand. Hidan strained his eyes, miffed that the guy was only delaying the inevitable. But, he smiled - he could use this to his advantage. Hidan whipped out his spear, held his breath, and pierced his hand. The warm blood poured onto the ground and splattered his sandals, the pain just a small nuisance compared to what was to come. Stepping in it, Hidan began drawing the symbol of Jashin around his body, sweeping his leg around in a wide enough circle so that he had plenty of room to perform his sacrifice. After listening to Kakuzu bitch enough about how he should prepare the ritual before a fight, Hidan had to give the old man some credit: it did make the process faster. He finished the triangle and stepped back into the center. Now all he needed was for the rogue to come to him.

Something cold shot through him and sent him staggering forward. Hidan coughed as blood filled a lung and all he could taste was his own life liquid. A sword protruded from the right side of chest and holy hell did it hurt. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Hidan cursed. He didn’t think the Kiri-nin would have snuck up on him so easily.

He whirled around, slashing his spear across the man as the sword slid out from his body. The man jumped back, stunned that Hidan was still moving. Hidan growled at the pain until he noticed the cut on the man’s arm. He inspected the tip of his spear and saw the glistening droplets of fresh blood. Hidan cackled at how easily the Kiri-nin had fallen into his trap.

“How the hell are you still standing?!” the man shouted.

Hidan licked the tip of his spear and lifted his face to the sky. Although all he could see was the swirling mist, he still felt the power of Jashin course through him. “Jashin-sama!” he shouted, “Watch me as I send these heathens to you!” Raising the spear to strike his own heart, Hidan braced for the coming pain, but the Kiri-nin reacted first, launching forward and plunging his two swords, one after the other, into his abdomen and rib cage. Hidan cried out at the pain of having two blades sticking through him, still not quite used to it. Had Kakuzu not been handling most of their hunts, he may have actually enjoyed this better. He locked eyes with his opponent and started chuckling softly, his laugh gaining in volume until he was cackling. The Mist shinobi was shocked at first, confused on how someone could laugh as they were stabbed but the transfer of wounds finally struck him, his eyes growing wide at the shock of pain. Knees buckled and he collapsed onto the ground grasping at his chest and abdomen. Blood began to seep into the fabric as he struggled and choked.

Hidan’s laughing died down as he watched the man pathetically squirm on the ground. “It hurts, doesn’t it,” Hidan stated without emotion. He pulled out the uppermost sword, dropped it, and as he began removing the second one, the man spasmed a few more times before growing still.

With the sacrifice over following the death of the Kiri shinobi, the curse began to fade. The black and white skin faded to his usual flesh color and he felt the healing begin. Hidan carelessly dropped the second blade and rubbed his neck, cracking it to relieve the stiffness.

One down, three to go.

Now that the caster was dead, the mist began to dissipate. Hidan sneered at their shocked expressions. None of them saw how he’d done it - how he’d killed their teammate - which meant he had at least one free pass to kill another before they found out.

Cautiously, the three approached, weapons drawn and at the ready. The two ex-Rain brothers held a kunai each while the other one equipped brass knuckles with blades on the ends after removing his coat. Hidan observed their movements, judging them on how they may fight. He guessed the Sand-nin was a close combat brawler, most likely a skilled tai-jutsu user who relied more on strength than speed. The other two hung back some, maintaining a sizable distance. Those two, if Hidan had to guess, are probably more on the mid to long range fighters spectrum. They would rely more on nin-jutsu during battle.

Hidan retracted his spear and tucked it away. “Alright, who’s next?” he asked as he slung the scythe lazily onto a shoulder.

The three moved in sync, the Sand leaping into the air while one of the Rain brothers quickly wove signs and spat a bullet of water Hidan’s way. Hidan leapt up, blocked the large guy’s attack and skidded back to the ground. The earth cracked as the rogue Sand landed but a gleam distracted Hidan. Turning quickly, he flipped backwards as a trio of shuriken whizzed past, thrown by the other brother.

“Heh,” Hidan chuckled. He was certainly enjoying himself - all the others he'd fought weren't skilled enough to last this long.

The dance continued, blocking and countering the Sand’s blows while avoiding the brothers’ distant attacks. They were having more success in cutting Hidan than he was them but not a one landed anything crippling.

Hidan flipped forwards and brought his scythe down as hard as he could on top of the Sand brute. The pole vibrated as it crashed into metal but the tips managed to pierce into the tanned skin. “Ha-ha!” Hidan laughed in victory. He quickly twisted around to kick the man away and charged for the circle over by the Mists’s body. Once inside, he licked the blood off the tip and grinned wide as the three ran towards him. They hesitated as his appearance changed but one of the brothers sent a few kunai his way. Except Hidan didn't bother dodging this time.

His body shook as each of the three knives buried into his flesh. Hidan grunted, his movements stiff, as he stepped forward and removed the kunai in his shoulder.

“What the hell-augh!” The Sand-nin grasped his shoulder and hugged his chest only to pull his hand away and stare wide-eyed at the fresh red liquid staining his skin. “When did…” He looked up in surprise, too late to realize that he had the same wounds as Hidan.

Hidan laughed without restraint and whipped out his spear. “You fool! You’re already under my curse!” They all stepped back as he raised his spear. “It’s all over. Die!” He brought it down and pierced his chest, ripping through his heart. There was a collective gasp around him, shocked and confused expressions at Hidan’s imitated suicide. Hidan looked upwards, quietly moaning and laughing at the same time as the pain turned into ecstasy, listening to the loud groans of his sacrifice who collapsed into the ground. The other two jumped away in fear.

He turned his attention back to the Rain-nin, wincing a little at the pain in his chest. The curse had faded, signaling that the man was dead, so he removed the spear. _The other two are now wary, seeing how I’m still standing. Killing them won’t be as easy if I can’t get close enough._ He picked out the remaining two knives and swung them around a finger.

“How is he still alive?” asked one.

“I don’t know - maybe he’s actually a puppet,” said the other.

“Puppets don’t bleed! And I’ve never met one that can talk!” It was clear that they wanted to bicker more but Hidan’s presence was more of a threat.

“It must be some kind of curse jutsu that passes on injuries to the target. We should be fine as long as his skin doesn’t change colors again,” said the one just a tad smarter than the other. He pulled out some shuriken. “Ready?” The other nodded and did the same. “Aim for non-vitals!” he shouted as they launched their attack.

Hidan whipped the tether around to block the majority of the barrage but a few managed to slip by and cut into him. _Dammit!_

The two Ex-Rain regrouped and checked over their bodies. “Anything?”

“No.”

Relief flooded them for a moment and then their stances grew serious. One reached behind and pulled out a tanto blade which began to glow, emanating chakra. That was going to hurt if it landed. He charged forward with more speed than Hidan anticipated, knocking him back as he defended.

Cursing, Hidan switched to defense and was continuously pushed back. He was being herded towards the other and he couldn’t afford to take the time to figure out what their plan was. Hidan had to act quickly if he was going to avoid certain decapitation. He risked returning the attacks, costing him a slice in his side, and jumped over the rogue. He didn’t get much of a chance to land when the ground suddenly came alive and hit him. Hard.

Hidan went tumbling across the dusty earth, the coarse sand abrasive against his skin. The struggle to sit up was agonizing, his mouth gaping for the air to return to his lungs. And just as suddenly, he was pushed back into the ground as one of them landed on top and held a blade to his throat. Hidan clenched his teeth. “You son of a-”

“Quiet!” he shouted and pressed the blade to his skin.

A chiding laugh shook him. “If you think you have me,” Hidan began, preparing to jump up, “then you’re a bigger idiot than the other two!” Hidan twisted around, knife gliding over his throat, and pushed with as much force as he could to knock the man off of him. He swung without trying, his focus more on stopping the blood from leaving the slash in his neck. The distraction cost him, for when he went to swing again, the weight of his attack was gone. Hidan looked to his left: his arm cut clean off from mid bicep, was lying lifeless on the ground still holding his scythe. He growled, letting go of the wound on his neck and pulling out his spear. “I’m gonna fucking kill you!” He charged, roaring as he slashed.

The man in front of him was running on raw fear - fear from a man that had been cut into pieces and was still alive. They parried, Hidan angry that they had gotten the better of him. After a few more exchanged blows, they separated, sliding back to distance themselves. “Tch!” Everything hurt and fighting with one arm wasn’t easy.

The Rain-nin suddenly looked shocked and shouted, “Shin! Behind you!”

Hidan took a chance and looked back. The other Ex-Rain was in the process of turning around to Kakuzu at his back. The much larger man grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground. The brother flailed, choking out garbled sounds as Kakuzu’s other hand hardened and plunged into his chest and out the other side. The body stopped struggling and went limp, a death a little too quick for Hidan’s tastes but nonetheless, Hidan smirked and faced the remaining brother. The man was shaking but with rage or fear, Hidan wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter - either way it meant his actions would be more reckless.

With a shrill holler, he launched at the rogue but his attacks were blocked. Hidan growled in frustration as he was pushed back yet again. More cuts marked his body and he was dripping with his own blood and after a final exchange of blows, they separated, jumping back to recuperate.

Kakuzu stepped in beside him, his right arm soaked with another man’s blood. “About time you showed your sorry ass. What the hell took you so long?” Hidan berated.

“Hmph,” Kakuzu half laughed. “I _was_ going to let you get your ass kicked a little longer, but I’ve run out of patience.”

“Fuck you. I had it handled.”

“Ha,” Kakuzu mocked. “Tell that to me again when you want your arm sewn back on.” He stepped forward, leaving Hidan to try and come up with a retort.

But he couldn’t come up with one. Sulking as Kakuzu finished up the kill he couldn’t, he fetched his arm… then threw his head back and groaned in disdain - he hadn’t realized the tether on his scythe had been cut as well. Kakuzu was going to lose it with him now. For the time being, he equipped it on his back and took a seat on a nearby boulder. Now he just had to hope that Kakuzu would be kind enough to reattach his arm.

He leaned into his one remaining hand, his elbow propped up on a knee, while he waited on Kakuzu. Tuning out the ongoing fight and relaxing was easy once his eyes were closed.

It wasn’t much longer after that until Kakuzu was beside him. Hidan grit his teeth. “Ow, ow, ow,” he muttered as Kakuzu began sewing his arm back on.

“Quit being such a baby,” he told him. “I’m positive it was more painful to lose it.”

Hidan remained quiet, mentally telling himself not to yell at Kakuzu or he’d never get put back together.

When he was finished, the taller of the two stood up and looked him over while Hidan flexed his left hand, making sure everything was in order. “What’s the point of wearing clothes if you’re just going to ruin them?” Kakuzu chided. He sighed when Hidan didn’t answer. “Take it off.”

“Hm? What? Take what off?” Hidan asked, suddenly confused and worried at the same time.

“What remains of your clothing.”

Narrowing his eyes, he asked, “Why?”

“So I can finished sewing you up.”

Hidan instinctively touched the gash in his neck. For the most part, it had stopped bleeding, but the raw, warm open flesh still stung. “Fine,” he grumbled, conceding to Kakuzu’s open invitation to patch him up. He pulled and ripped the remains of his jacket and shirt and dropped them onto the ground and pretended not to show how uncomfortable he was.

Beginning with his neck, Kakuzu worked his way around Hidan, sewing up the larger wounds and passing over the smaller ones. It bothered him with how… considerate Kakuzu was being. Fixing his arm made sense - he was going to need that. But taking the time to close his lesser wounds wasn’t like the jackass. As Hidan thought, he realized that since they had begun this mission, Kakuzu had been off - more complacent than usual. It was like his focus had been elsewhere.

As his partner finished up the gash to his lower right side, he said, “The second we find a spot for you to wash up, you’re jumping in. You’ll attract too much attention covered in this much blood.” He stepped back and pointed a finger. “And don’t think I haven’t noticed that you broke the tether for your scythe.”

_You’d have to be blind not to,_ Hidan silently retorted.

Kakuzu cracked his knuckles. “Grab a body and let’s go.”

Hidan groaned in annoyance as he stood up. He should have known he’d have to carry somebody; it would explain why Kakuzu had so easily repaired him. “Wait, does that mean we're done here?”

“Yes. The two Hidden Rain shinobi were our targets.”

“I thought they had different names but they look related.”

“Mm. Half brothers.”

“Oh, I guess that makes sense.” The stitches tugged at his skin as he moved. He picked the smallest one, the first brother Kakuzu had killed, and hauled the body up and over his good shoulder. Grumbling a sigh, he followed after the miser who was carrying two bodies. _At least I didn't get lectured._


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this next chapter was long overdue, but please, enjoy :)

The cliff face the Crows hideout resided in came into view as Kakuzu and Hidan rounded over the hill. The sun was beginning its decent, casting long shadows over the structure and bringing with it the cold call of the night. Pine trees dominated this region more so than other vegetation, making the forest appear thicker but the grand oaks and maples had already shed their leaves in preparation for the dryer season. The scent of decay was heavy in the chilly late autumn breeze.

Hidan huddled next to him as if he could absorb some of Kakuzu’s body heat by being close. Even with new clothes and a thicker coat, his partner still shivered and complained and it was almost comical how Hidan went out if his way to avoid the shadows. Leave it to his idiot partner to place style over practicality.

As they neared the entrance, Kakuzu picked up on the excess of chakra ahead of them. It seemed as if the whole group had gathered and he couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn’t going to be good for them.

Word of their success was sent but reported days after they had initially assassinated the two brothers in the regards of not wanting to sound _too_ good at their jobs. He had taken the extra time upon returning to make it seem as if they were recovering after a hard fought battle. Hidan still had some residual scars from his more serious wounds but otherwise the two looked good as new. He'd even gone as far as having Hidan’s tether repaired just to consume time. But if his suspicions were right, taking on two A-Ranked shinobi may have been a little much to pass as low-end bounty hunters.

“Hey,” Hidan spoke low. They were just steps away from the entrance. “Do you get the feeling that we're being watched?”

Kakuzu hummed an affirmative. “Try not to pay any attention to it.” As he extended his senses he picked up on more than just the people inside. They were outside as well, hiding in the trees and behind rocks. It seems their time here was up.

They walked inside, both pretending like they weren't aware of the looming hostility. Unsurprisingly, Oogura and Wanabi stood side by side, along with the woman, Sunara. It was as if they had been waiting for their return - and they didn't look happy about it.

The rest were watching as well, some more obvious than others. They stood waiting up on the catwalks or around corners, all focus aimed at those in the center.

Kakuzu approached with Hidan at his right. He was unconcerned with their numbers - the lot of them being nothing more than flies on his radar. Hidan, on the other hand, was uneasy.

No. That wasn’t right.

Hidan was vibrating with excitement. He knew fully well that they were walking into a fight. Kakuzu was impressed. Hidan’s expression remained calm and relaxed; no one would know that he was ready to kill.

“Kakuzu,” Oogura addressed him. “You’re mission went well?”

He stopped a few steps from them. Hidan did as well. “As well as it could.”

“That’s interesting, because from what I’ve heard, one body was found, and three were turned in at a collection office. All high ranking shinobi.” Kakuzu narrowed his eyes as he listened. “On top of that, our group symbol was found at the scene attached to a heap of shredded and bloody clothes. Now the Hotori Hebi are declaring war on us. It was supposed to be an anonymous assassination, that is, if you were strong enough to handle it.”

Hidan shifted beside him. _So it_ was _a test to see how strong we were. There’s no talking my way out of this,_ Kakuzu thought.

“Oh, and another thing.” Oogura produced a piece of paper from inside his jacket. “This came for you the other day.” He handed it over to Kakuzu.

Kakuzu took it, eyeing the man suspiciously when he was sure they had just been named traitors in the Crows eyes. It seemed a fraction out of protocol to be so generous. He opened the letter that had already been read, his eyes widening a little as he recognized the symbol: a cloud covering an eight-pointed star. This was it - this was what he had been searching for for so long. To think they’d contact him.

Yugure.

This era’s Akatsuki.

“Care to explain why such a powerful and secret organization is contacting you?”

_What a fool._ Oogura was under the impression that Kakuzu was a spy. He read over the letter that seemed more like a riddle than invitation.

 

Once Hidden in the Waterfall

Many times stained red

Once backbone of the Dawn

Many times dead

 

Risen is thee

From the ground where thy bed

To see the Dusk

Dye it all red

 

_What an interesting way for recruitment,_ Kakuzu pondered. The first half was about him - which left him more than a little unsettled. Whoever was in charge knew exactly who and what he was. They knew what village he was from, that death wasn’t so permanent a concept for him but they were also aware that at one point he had been officially dead. And ‘Dawn’ referred to Akatsuki, just written a different way, followed by ‘Dusk:’ the name of their organization.

_‘Dye it all red…’_ he thought. _If it’s like the first verse, it’s referring to blood._

Kakuzu turned to Hidan, ignoring Oogura and Wanabi’s displeasure on his arrogance. “Hidan, give me your spear.”

Hidan had been curious on what the paper said but hadn’t been close enough to read it. He begrudgingly handed his spear over, cautious of how the others tensed up. Kakuzu whipped it open, grabbed Hidan by the wrist and sliced his partner’s palm open. “Ow! What the fuck?!”

There was a short gasp around them but Kakuzu focused on getting Hidan’s blood to stain the paper. It was a struggle; not Hidan’s fault - he had no clue as to why Kakuzu had done what he did but he’ll get over it in a moment.

Like he’d hoped, a hidden message appeared as the blood seeped into the parchment. It was short and simple: kill every member of the Crows and come to the following coordinates.

Under his mask, Kakuzu grinned. Oogura demanded to know what was going on but Kakuzu only laughed. He called to Hidan.

“What?” Hidan snapped, nursing the wound on his hand.

Kakuzu tucked the letter away. “It’s time.”

Confusion masked Hidan’s face for a moment until he realized what Kakuzu had meant. He smiled wide and forgot about the cut to his palm. “About damn time.”

~~~

The ground shook as a few small explosions erupted around him. “Dammit, Kakuzu,” Hidan grit out while nervously scanning the surroundings. The foundation was cracking, bits of ceiling crumbled downwards in small showers, and somewhere, the sound of metal groaned and snapped. “You’re going to bring the whole fucking place down on top of me.” He quickly deflected another attack from Wanabi and jumped back some.

Kakuzu had ordered him to take care of the ones outside the second the fight initiated but that meant he wouldn’t be able to kill Wanabi and he had been praying for this chance. He wasn’t about to give up on it - not after Kakuzu had promised him this sacrifice.

Oogura was already dead; he was the first to go and Kakuzu chased after the woman and took out anyone else along the way. But Wanabi... Wanabi was his.

To his advantage, Hidan was able to bait Wanabi outside. Otherwise, if he had stayed in there any longer, Hidan feared he would have been gripped by a panic attack at which point he’d be pretty fucking useless. Fortunately, Wanabi hated him and focused the majority of his attention on Hidan and spent no time in giving chase with gnashed teeth.

Under the setting sun, Hidan and Wanabi exchanged blows. The ones who hadn’t rushed inside now joined the fray but they were such inadequate adversaries. Hidan cut them down one after the other as they tried to intervene in his fight.

His face was beginning to ache from grinning for so long. Hidan was having fun now that he had finally been allowed to kill these bird bastards and nothing could ruin this moment. That is, as long as Kakuzu let him have Wanabi, he couldn't care less about anything else.

Wanabi, however, was proving to be more skilled than he first thought possible. Hidan toyed with him at first, not wanting their match to end too quickly, but he was beginning to see why Wanabi was so high up on the food chain. Was he stronger than Hidan? Absolutely not. But he was incredibly skilled at dodging and blocking. On the other hand, his offensive skills sucked.

They separated and Wanabi snarled, “I should have killed the two of you the moment you walked into town!”

“Heh! You didn't stand a chance then and you certainly don't now!” Hidan threw his scythe, knowing full well that Wanabi would dodge it, and jumped into the air after him. He pulled on the cord and angled it after his prey, a grin splitting his face at the predictability of his foe. While Wanabi used his sword to block the scythe, Hidan pulled out his spear and brought it down across him. Wanabi kicked off Hidan and landed halfway across the clearing, favoring his left arm - a fresh cut oozed blood.

Hidan pulled his scythe back to him and broke out in a roar of laughter. “It's all over!” Hidan dragged the tip of his spear over his tongue and swallowed, tasting the metallic tang. A laughing fit soon overtook him, starting low as his body tingled with the power of Jashin coursing through him. Soon, his maniacal cackle shook him as he lost control of himself. After months of enduring this shitty organization, they were finally tearing it all apart.

He covered an eye to try and calm down - after all, he still had to kill Wanabi. He staved off the uncontrollable joy and took a few calming breaths, relaxed, and then straightened his shoulders.

Wincing at the pain before throwing his head back as the euphoria hit him, the spear dug into his hand. Blood poured down and was absorbed by the ground, pooling into a beautiful scarlet puddle. Hidan waited until there was enough for him to draw with and stepped into the warm liquid.

How nice that Wanabi had waited on him. Hidan finished up the circle and straightened, shoulders twitching as he held in his excitement but he couldn't hide the smile that twisted his lips. “I’ve waited a long time for this.” Hidan raised his face to the heavens. “Jashin-sama! Witness me as I slaughter these heathens in your name!” The spear twirled in his hand and stopped so it aimed at himself. “Time to die!” He plunged it into the center of his chest, missing the vital organs (he wanted Wanabi to suffer) and doubling over as his insides ripped open. Hidan sucked in a breath so he wouldn't cry out. It took a few agonizing moments for the pleasure to overthrow the pain but soon he was relishing in it.

Wanabi gagged and clawed at his chest as the curse took hold. The remaining handful of rogues didn't understand what was happening but tried to take advantage of Hidan’s moment of bliss by plunging their own weapons into him. “That fucking hurts!” Hidan barked. But he couldn't help feeling elated that Wanabi's own men finished him off. The multiple stabbings were too much for the man and he collapsed into the ground, dead. What a shame his plaything died so quickly.

The others backed away and the blades that remained Hidan had to remove from his body himself. How annoying. _So much for my clothes,_ he thought.

“Hn?” Hidan looked around in surprise at the sudden turmoil.

There was a barrage of panicked questions, mostly trying to figure out why Hidan wasn't dead. That is until one figured it out.

“Wait... Hidan…” a sandy haired blonde pondered his name. “I recognize him now! He’s the immortal man! Hidan from Yugakure!” he yelled in his panic. “My father told me about him. He was in Akatsuki but it was rumored the Leaf put him down!”

“Immortal?”

“Is that true?”

“Akatsuki?”

“How do we kill him?”

The questions went on and on.

Hidan swung his spear causing the blood on the end to splatter onto the ground. “Heh. So you’ve heard of me? I’m flattered.”

There was maybe a dozen or so of them left but they all simultaneously readied themselves for an attack the moment Hidan spoke up. The blonde, who knew his true identity, voice quivered. “And Kakuzu, of Takigakure… But… But he was confirmed dead! Twenty years ago the Hokage put him down! How…? How are you two still alive?”

Hidan went to tell them that it was all thanks to Jashin but an explosion blew out the doors and windows of the hideout. They could feel the wave of heat from the flames from where they stood, leaving the group of them in awe. Hidan sucked his teeth in annoyance but took advantage of their distraction and cut through about half of them before the rest caught up with what was happening.

It wasn’t much of a fight. Now that their home was destroyed, their leaders dead, and the screams of those that were still inside had ceased, there was little motivation left in them. Hidan finished them off without much effort and as he stood watching the fire as it consumed the base, he was left wondering if Kakuzu was finished.

An explosion like that had to have been from Kakuzu's fire mask which meant his half of the fight had been more challenging than originally planned. Kakuzu didn't like unleashing those monsters if he didn't have to because it left him open to attack. Hidan wished he'd hurry up; it won't be long until the townspeople came to investigate.

He didn't have to wait for much longer. Kakuzu burst out of the front, his arms up to shield his face from the fire, and half jogged to slow his momentum as he landed. The masked man took a look around, stopping when he spotted Hidan and motioned with his head for him to come over. Hidan rolled his neck, loosening some of the tension, and headed his way.

“Did you get all of them?” Kakuzu asked.

Hidan nodded. “Yeah, they were too stupid to run. You?”

His partner growled. “Not yet.”

He sounded pissed and Hidan would rather stay out of his way until he saw the missing mask from Kakuzu’s back. He looked in disbelief from Kakuzu back to the fiery hideout. Was the mask still inside?

Something flew out of the flames and for a second Hidan thought it’d be the black wiry mass that Kakuzu had released, but his brow furrowed when he saw that it was instead the thin figure of that woman who always clung to Oogura. “What the hell? You couldn’t kill a girl?”

Kakuzu clicked his tongue in anger. “She possesses the Kekkei Genkai: Magnet Release. And she’s skilled at evading; even when a building is falling on her.”

“Che! All I hear are excuses.” Hidan swung his scythe into both hands. “Normally I’d make fun of your old age but I guess that doesn’t apply this time around.”

“Don’t get cocky; she’s stronger than she looks.”

“Or maybe you’re just weaker,” Hidan sneered in return.

Ignoring his comment, Kakuzu warned, “Don't use any weapons on her.”

“Fuck that! I'm killing this bitch!” Hidan charged, his triple blade scythe slicing the air beside him. She was weaving a bunch of signs with a smirk on her purple painted lips and jumped just in time to avoid Hidan's attack. The blades dug into the ground where she had been a breath ago but instead of retreating, she let her jump take her straight back down onto Hidan’s scythe, further pushing it into the dirt.

“Magnet Release: Centuple Force!” The second after she spoke, she leapt off the scythe and headed straight for Kakuzu.

“Don't ignore me, you bi-!” Hidan was yanked back as he tried to give chase, as if someone was keeping his scythe from moving. Hidan tried again but the weapon wouldn't budge. “What the fuck?” With two hands he gave another pull but the scythe dragged across the ground leaving deep scars in the earth. “What the hell did you do?” he asked knowing she was too preoccupied fighting Kakuzu. When he finally lifted it, he was completely off-kilter, stumbling to catch himself from falling. The heaviness of the scythe made the blade feel foreign in his hand and trying to use it would be extra wasted effort. Angry, Hidan abandoned it and detached the tether so he could move more freely.

Kakuzu was stuck in a constant loop of trying to summon a jutsu and the woman breaking his hand signs. No matter how much distance or power he put into his counters, she was back on him in an instant. Hidan put a hand on his hip as he watched, contemplating how he should go about helping. He still had his spear but he and Kakuzu hadn't exactly done any significant combo fights to prepare him on what to do. In the past he wouldn't have hesitated, but the tension between the two of them wasn't quite like it was back then.

But, Kakuzu _did_ need a break from her attacks if he was going to be of any use in this fight.

“Haaah, come on, think,” he told himself. The black haired bitch was impressively skilled to be keeping up with Kakuzu, which meant he himself didn’t stand much of a chance in hand-to-hand combat. “Ah, fuck it,” Hidan proclaimed and ran to join the fight.

There wasn’t much that could be said about him adding to the fray but he made the attempt anyways and it was good that he did, even if both she and his partner viewed him more as annoyance.

Hidan put himself between them, forcing her back but giving Kakuzu just the opportunity to cast a jutsu.

“Wind release: Pressure Damage!”

Hidan grinned as he felt the blast of air tear his skin and even more pleased to see the woman get blown away. Through his obscured vision and the rushing wind, he faintly heard her cry but too focused on not getting himself caught up in the powerful jutsu, Hidan retreated to a safer location.

Only when the dust settled did his grin turn upside down.

Her hair was a mess, clothes torn and dirty, makeup smeared, and she had the left side of her lips curled back in a snarl.

Oh, and most importantly, she was carrying his fucking scythe.

“Hey, bitch! That’s mine!”

“So sorry,” she sneered, and lifted it upwards. “Here, have it back!” Her free hand went up with the standard two-fingered sign. “Reverse Polarization!” The air around the hand gripping his scythe warped like a wave of heat and suddenly the triple bladed scythe was spiraling towards him.

Hidan barely got an obscenity in before he was dodging his own weapon. She repeated the same jutsu nonstop, the scythe chasing after Hidan incessantly until he was beginning to run out of steam. “Fucking cunt!” He whipped a look over his shoulder at his so-called partner. “Kakuzu! The fuck are you doing?” he screamed across the clearing. The miser was weaving signs but his moves were a little sluggish. In fact, the angry glare Hidan received read that he was exhausted. “Quit being a slow old man and do- Ffffuck!”

A katana had skewered itself between his ribs all the way down to the hilt. “Ow! What the fuck?!” He pulled the sword out, briefly coughing blood, and glared at the only Crow that remained alive. “You fucking bitch! I’m gonna-!”

“Reverse Polarization!”

The sword was ripped from his hand and flew to the black-haired bitch’s open palm.

“Lightning Release: False Darkness!”

Blinding blue hued lightning shot across the blood soaked clearing and connected to the sword in her hand. She screamed, her body consumed by electricity in a bright show that hurt the eyes.

In the midst of the jutsu, Hidan found his scythe, rejoicing in the return of its usual weight, and screwed up his eyes so he could find his target amongst the ongoing stream of lightning. Only once he saw the signs of the jutsu losing momentum did he dash forwards, closing the distance as fast as he could.

The lightning subsided, leaving the woman barely on the cusp of consciousness but surprisingly alive. Kakuzu’s jutsu hadn’t finished her off like it should have but Hidan was more than happy to fill in for the job. His scythe dug into her with no resistance and she, too physically drained to do anything more than widen her eyes, gaped silently. With a nasty jerk, Hidan ripped the triple blades through the rest of her to make sure there was no coming back. The light in her eyes was gone and she ungraciously fell forwards, a deep red absorbing and spreading into the ground under her.

Hidan hissed at the pain in his side and ran a few fingers over the entry wound from the sword. “Fuck. Like I needed more holes in me,” he mumbled. “Stupid bitch.” Hidan kicked a small rock at her lifeless body, the stone bouncing back into the dirt. “At least you were more entertaining than that other bastard.” He cast a look behind him at Wanabi’s corpse, wishing he’d known ahead of time who the better opponent was.

“Maa, Kakuzu, is that everyone?” he inquired. Kakuzu was in the process of finding a new jacket amongst the corpses; his presumably lost in the burning hideout. Ignored, (a good sign that the danger has passed), Hidan passed a glance over his own person, aware that he was basically in rags, and then at some of the bodies strewn about. “Well, I guess bloody clothes is better than no clothes,” he sighed as he came to face the fact that once they left the comfort of the raging fire he was going to feel the chill of early winter.

“Hidan,” Kakuzu’s call came. “Are you finished?”

Giving himself a look over, his new wardrobe a mismatched collection of stained clothing, Hidan grumbled back, “Yeah, I guess.”

“Then let's go.” Kakuzu started to walk away.

“Oi, oi, what exactly is going on?” Hidan questioned, catching up. He was glad they were finally done with the birdbrains but he still wanted to know why. Something in that letter had triggered Kakuzu to finally give the okay to kill everyone and it had to have said something important for him to make that call.

“We’re heading north.”

Hidan frowned. Was that all he was going to get? “I’m gonna need more than just _‘heading north.’”_

There was a long grumble from Kakuzu before he finally divulged information. “Yugure. I’ve been given an invitation to join them.”

“And I’m supposed to care?”

“Think Akatsuki, but more inconspicuous.”

“Fuck that!” Hidan shouted. _Another_ organization? Was Kakuzu that desperate to be tied down? “I hated Akatsuki. And Pain. He was so full of himself and proclaimed himself God. Who the fuck does that?”

“You know, Hidan,” Kakuzu began, “that Madara Uchiha was the one pulling the strings, right? Or more precisely, Obito Uchiha who was doing Madara’s bidding. You should have learned that much. The Fourth Great Ninja War is what united the five nations in order to thwart Madara in the first place.”

_Great, now I’m being lectured about history,_ Hidan rolled his eyes. “What do I care? They’re all dead now.”

There was a frustrated sigh. He faced Hidan and gave him the most unamused look. “You say that but I’m living proof that the dead don’t stay that way.” His attention went back to the road. “Madara found his own way to live again and used the Akatsuki to do so. But because he didn’t like being second best in his first life, he aimed to be the Ten-Tailed Jinchuriki in his second. Hence why Akatsuki was hunting the Tailed Beasts.”

“How do you know all this?” Hidan asked. It wasn’t as if he didn’t believe him, he just never heard the full details of that war. Not that he ever asked.

“I fought in that war for a short time-”

“How? You were dead,” he interrupted.

“I fought in that war for a short time as a _living corpse_. The Second Hokage’s Reanimation Jutsu summoned myself and the rest of Akatsuki along with other powerful shinobi to fight the five nations. Although the living put up a good fight, it was ultimately a slaughter. Regretfully, I wasn’t around long enough to see it through to the end,” he finished.

Hidan thought quietly as he processed this information. Kakuzu had never brought any of this up before. How did they even get on to this topic? “But, wait, I thought the nations won?” They had to of. How else would they all be ‘buddy-buddy?’

Kakuzu nodded. “Madara’s plan took a turn he didn’t foresee. I don’t know all of the details, but he was revived and did become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki and had placed everyone under a massive genjutsu.” He paused, as if he was unsure of what he was saying. “Very few were involved in the final battle. The Sixth and Seventh Hokages, Kakashi Hatake and Naruto Uzumaki, the last of the Uchiha, Sasuke, and Obito, who had realized he had been used and worked against Madara in the end. They managed to avoid being trapped in the genjutsu and fought Madara, except Madara ended up being a host for a more powerful being.” Kakuzu stopped walking. “Kaguya Otsutsuki,” he said the name with an ominous tone. “The Mother of Chakra. An otherworldly being that came to the lands centuries ago.” He turned to Hidan. “Those born with the Byakugan and Sharingan are her descendants.”

“Okay…” Things were getting off track and Hidan wasn’t sure where Kakuzu was going. “What does she have to do with Madara?”

The emerald eyes narrowed. “You’ve been walking around years before I have and you still don’t know?”

A growl rumbled in his throat. “Fuck off! It’s not like I had anyone to talk to!” He didn’t let him know that he hardly remembered anything before Kakuzu’s revival. It was just bits and pieces, most of it being one large blur.

“Hmph,” Kakuzu chastised. “I thought you of all people would have looked into her.”

“Why should I have?”

His tone grew serious. “Because she’s the closest thing to god this world has ever seen. She’s the reason there’s chakra and one of her children is the Sage of Six Paths, the man who divided the Ten Tails into the nine Tailed Beasts. This is now common knowledge. That war was only twenty years ago. Everyone was involved whether they chose to be or not.”

“I wasn’t involved,” Hidan said icily. “I was stuck in a hole, or did you forget?” There was silence save for the rustle of leaves from the early winter breeze. _For fuck’s sake, did he seriously forget?_

“It’s no excuse. There are plenty of books and papers dedicated to the facts of that war,” he finally said.

“Whatever.” He was getting frustrated with how Kakuzu was talking down to him. “What’s the point you’re trying to make?” Hidan crossed his arms tightly over his chest, tucking his hands under his armpits to keep them warm.

There was a sigh but Kakuzu had not given up on the history lecture. “Long story short, Kaguya overtook Madara’s body and Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha sealed her away. So long as the nine Tailed Beasts do not become the Ten Tails, she can never resurrect.” Kakuzu sharply turned his head away and started walking again. “We got off topic. The point is, Madara Uchiha was controlling Akatsuki through Obito who was also Tobi-”

“What? Tobi? That good for nothing?”

“...Yes. Tobi was actually Obito Uchiha. But no one was aware of that because he went under the guise as Madara Uchiha. Only a few believed he was Madara.”

Hidan caught up. “Wait, hold on. Now I’m confused. I thought Obito was Tobi?”

“Yes, but he was impersonating Madara.” Kakuzu was beginning to get annoyed. “No one was aware that it was actually Obito.”

Hidan groaned. “Whatever. This is all too confusing and I’m not in the mood for a history lesson. Let’s go back to this new group you’re dragging us to.”

“You don’t have to follow.”

_That was a quick response. He’s not even trying to be discrete about getting rid of me._ Hidan shrugged with a smirk on his face. “Hey, I’m curious to know what these guys are like. Clearly they’re worth killing a few dozen people over. All it took was one message from them and you flipped allegiances like that.” Hidan snapped his fingers to iterate his point.

He got a sideways glance in return. “Because they _are_ worth it. Like I said, they’re the new Akatsuki.”

“Yeah, maybe you weren’t listening to what you were saying but that doesn’t sound like a good thing.”

“It’ll be fine. I doubt it’ll be as complicated.”

Kakuzu sounded confident but Hidan wasn’t buying into it. “Guess we’ll find out, won’t we?” He grinned as he listened to Kakuzu grumble in response.

The sunlight was nearly gone and the temperature was dropping fast. It was quiet except for their footsteps. Not a sound from the nearby wildlife. It was almost ominous. Hidan shivered and scrunched his shoulders to help keep his ears warm. “Fuck, it’s cold! We better stop somewhere with four walls and a ceiling ‘cause I am _not_ sleeping on the ground.” Kakuzu didn’t respond. “Are you listening?”

“The whole forest can hear you, Hidan. I’m not deaf,” he growled.

“Then don’t fucking ignore me,” he mumbled.


	29. Chapter 29

Fresh snow blanketed the ground and hid the road in a sea of white. Had it not been for the break in the trees to escort them, Hidan would think they were lost. Everything was piled with at least a half a meter of snow and the tree branches threatened to collapse under the weight. As the sharp wind swept through, trees creaked and groaned and every now and again there was a distant snap of wood as another branch gave up its fight.

Hidan shivered and sniffed against the cold wind and buried his face further into his thick coat. He was regretting not buying a hat or scarf to protect his ears and face but it was too late for that now. Even with the sun and not a single cloud in the sky the air still hurt. At least he'd convinced Kakuzu to let him get a coat and the hood helped keep some of his head warm.

The same couldn't be said about his feet. The boots were waterproof but they certainly didn't keep his toes from going numb and the bottom third of his pants was soaked. If he stayed still for too long the fabric would begin to freeze and send a sprinkle of ice down his leg. Hidan worried that he might lose a foot to frostbite. He wasn't sure if that were even possible but he'd heard the stories and he really didn't want to experience it.

Kakuzu, on the other hand, looked fine. He had upgraded coats but wasn't nearly as bundled up as Hidan and seemed to have no problem trudging through the frozen wasteland. Hidan was envious. Kakuzu seemed to run at a warmer temperature and never got cold. When he stopped moving, steam would emanate off of his skin and he swore the snow would melt where he stood. It just wasn't fair.

His stomach growled a demand. “Mmn,” he grumbled. “Kakuzu! I’m hungry!”

“I told you to eat more before we left.”

He _had_ told him to. But it's hard to have an appetite before the sun has risen. “C’mon. I know you carry food with you.” Hidan picked his feet up high and half jumped through Kakuzu's trail to catch up. He had stopped Surface Walking some time ago; Hidan had the sneaking suspicion that Kakuzu would rather reserve his chakra than waste it walking on top of the snow. Either method, it was still exhausting.

Kakuzu sighed, his breath fogging the air, and swung off his pack. After rummaging around inside, he pulled out a protein bar. “Here,” he quickly said, handing it to Hidan. He pulled the cords closed and slung it back over his shoulder.

Hidan fumbled with the wrapper as he slowly walked behind Kakuzu, wishing it were a bowl of hot ramen instead. Numb fingers were making it difficult so he used his teeth to open it and bit down on the granola bar. Only, it didn’t break. Hidan bit down harder and growled in frustration. “God dammit! It’s hard as fucking rock! I hate the cold!”

There was a small chuckle from Kakuzu that sounded more of a ‘serves-you-right’ sort of laugh, followed by a suppressed dry cough that caught Hidan’s attention.

Rewrapped, he dropped the bar down his shirt so it could defrost and quickened his pace. “You’re not gonna die on me now, are you?” he half joked.

“No.” Kakuzu cleared his throat. “The air is just dry.”

Hidan wanted to believe him. He’d never seen Kakuzu get sick - the man never even sneezed (then again, he was always wearing a mask). Maybe that was why he was skeptical. The body was still fairly new and had never been exposed to the outside world while it was being grown. And this was the time of year for people to get sick.

He made an audible enough sound for Kakuzu to hear, letting the miser know he wasn’t convinced. The massacre of the Crows had been a little over a week ago but he still remembered how exhausted Kakuzu had been afterwards. He’d hidden it fairly well and Hidan had kept his mouth shut from making any assumptions, but still, his recovery rate was below the norm. Even with a new fire mask nestled in his back, the short battle for the replacement heart the other day had been sloppy.

Hidan regarded Kakuzu with practiced caution. Weakened as his partner may be, he still had a temper and enough energy to give Hidan a beating should he see it fit. Not something the fanatic was currently in the mood for.

~~~

The snow had slowed their progress tremendously and Kakuzu was not happy. It had taken them the rest of the day to reach the next town and the only noise to be heard on the entire trek was Hidan’s constant bitching. The headache was pounding his skull and he was exhausted from the journey. The deep snow made walking difficult and he could only focus chakra to his feet to walk on top of for so long before the drain started to wear him down.

He had overestimated his chakra reserves - a foolish and genin level mistake. Unleashing one mask was enough to slow him down but relying on two of the other nature changes had taken its toll on his body. The slaughtering of the Crows wouldn’t have been an issue in his old body. His hands wouldn’t have been shaking after only using three of his strongest jutsu.

And his recovery wouldn’t have taken nearly this long.

He stared blankly at the tiled wall of the tub, laying in the lukewarm bath water in the hopes that it would relax him. He had made Hidan go first, knowing full well that he’d be interrupted had he not, and hoped that by the time he finished, Hidan would be fast asleep. Kakuzu pushed his hair back and rested his eyes. As they were a waste of time, he didn’t normally take baths, but fatigue sucked his energy away and he wanted nothing more than to sleep.

Another coughing fit shook him and reminded him of his ever-growing sore throat. He didn’t want to think he was growing ill (he couldn’t recall the last time he had been) but it was becoming a worrisome concern. Or it really was the cold dry air and he was overthinking it. He massaged his temples. _Sleep. Sleep is what I need._

~~~

“God dammit, Hidan!” Kakuzu rasped in a groggy state. In his half-asleep daze, he threw a pillow as hard as he could at Hidan, who lay in the other bed sniveling.

His partner had screamed in his sleep, jolting Kakuzu awake into a panicked arming of fists. He had been in such a deep slumber that the sudden adrenaline rush sent every one of his hearts racing into action. He growled angrily at Hidan, bitter to the point that he wanted to strangle him.

“Sorry…” the other whimpered. Hidan was curled up, face buried in his knees. “I’m sorry,” he whispered again. His voice sounded shaky, like he was about to cry.

Kakuzu grumbled and threw himself back down into bed. It was hard to be angry when Hidan was apologizing so pathetically. Not to mention that he felt like shit. His head felt heavy, sinuses stuffed and burning, and his throat felt raw. He was unsure on what to do at this point but knew he was definitely far from perfect health.

~~~

A shiver swept through Hidan causing his teeth to chatter. He kept his distance from Kakuzu after having woken him up last night screaming. It was the first time he had gotten angry with Hidan over it and the icy stare he had been given this morning made the air feel even chillier.

And then there was the coughing. Kakuzu spent the better part of an hour trying to fall back asleep hiding his coughing, occasionally forcing loud ones to clear his throat. Hidan could tell that Kakuzu was trying his damnedest not to make it obvious. Even now, he could see him shake as he held in the involuntary spasms.

At least the road had a path and they weren't trudging through a river of snow anymore. Whoever had done it had pushed the snow to make space for maybe a small cart to get through. It seemed like a wasted effort. They hadn't crossed paths with a single soul in this frozen wilderness but he really shouldn't complain. Being able to walk on solid ground was a luxury this time of year.

Kakuzu wouldn't talk to him and had Hidan not been awake when Kakuzu packed up and headed out, he was pretty damn sure he would have been left behind. It wasn't like he enjoyed this particular method of pissing off Kakuzu; he didn't want the nightmares - didn't want the feeling of dread and fear that came with them. He didn't want the one person who tolerated him to throw him away. But nothing he did could lessen the burden.

At least he didn't have a panic attack every time he went indoors anymore. (Taking care of Kakuzu when he’d been brought back to life had helped him with that.) But nothing could be done to ease his sub consciousness. He might be sleeping more than he was a few years ago and he may be able to get most of his anxiety under control, but he wasn't cured.

And was beginning to doubt he ever would be.

Hidan faced the sun and wish it didn't have to start setting so soon. It was hardly the early afternoon but it looked as if night was just around the corner. They had maybe a few hours of daylight left before they were thrown into total blackness.

He found himself unknowingly catching up to Kakuzu. Odd, considering he hadn't changed his pace, which meant Kakuzu was slowing down. Hidan watched as the clouds of breath coming from Kakuzu seemed faster than they should be. _Is he out of breath?_ Hidan thought. Another coughing fit shook his shoulders but this time he didn't suppress it.

Kakuzu stopped walking. Hidan did the same. He seemed to take a minute as he let the fit pass, took a few moments to gather himself, and then set off again. _It's getting worse_ , he thought. Kakuzu really _was_ sick and was being too stubborn to admit it. It was stupid to keep traveling in his condition. They should have stayed at the hotel to rest - what was Kakuzu thinking?

Hidan watched him while debating if he should call Kakuzu out on it. He doubted it could make any difference and he'd just end up wasting his breath but he couldn't ignore-

“Ka-Kakuzu!” Hidan shouted and raced over to the other man. He had collapsed into the snow bank with a _‘whumph,’_ becoming consumed by the white fluff. Hidan rolled him over. “Kakuzu?! Oi! Kakuzu?!” He tried shaking him awake but there was no response. _Fuck. What the hell am I supposed to do?_ He looked around in a panic as if he were going to find someone to help. “Aw shit, umm…” He pulled Kakuzu into the road and brushed the snow off as best he could before pulling back the hood. Hidan pressed the back of his hand against Kakuzu's damp forehead. It was hot - _really_ hot. Even though his hands were reddened from the cold, he knew Kakuzu shouldn't be this warm. He quickly tested his own head. It wasn't the same. Kakuzu was burning up and they were in the middle of nowhere.

Hidan jumped up a tree to get a better view of the area ahead. He was almost positive he could make out a town not too far off but the sun setting to his left hinted that he wouldn't make it before nightfall. He leapt down and rushed back over to Kakuzu’s side. “Fucking… Fuck…” he cursed under his breath. _How the fuck am I supposed to carry him?_ He looked around again knowing full well that there wasn't anything to help him. “God dammit!”

It was a struggle to hoist Kakuzu onto his back and keep him there. Hidan bent over; a mix between buckling under Kakuzu’s weight and trying to keep him from dropping. He had to hook his scythe up to Kakuzu too otherwise he'd have to leave it behind, and held onto Kakuzu’s arms to pull him forward. It didn't matter how much he supported him, Kakuzu's feet were still going to drag.

“Dammit. This sucks!”

~~~

The room came into focus slowly and he couldn't recognize where he was. He was on his back, feeling the masks uncomfortably dig into him. Disoriented, Kakuzu sat up and held his face in his hands, ignoring the cloth that fell off. His head throbbed, his throat was irritated, and his arms for some reason were sore. Realizing he couldn't remember where he was, he patted his face. _My mask… Why aren't I wearing my mask?_

He looked to his left. The room had a hotel feel - something modern. Clean floors and walls, no buzzing lights. The bed was even comfortable. He looked to his right. Hidan was draped over an auburn loveseat fast asleep and a towel laying on the floor just outside his reach. Their effects were on the table in a pile along with several take out boxes and drink cans. Behind it, a heater hummed underneath a large window.

The clock read 6:42 P.M. That would explain why it was dark outside but what bothered him was the date. November 30th. How long had he been asleep? An entire day and a half didn't sound right - the clock must be wrong.

His lungs contracted and forced him to cough but it wasn't the dry coughing from before. This time he really did sound ill.

“Kakuzu?” he heard Hidan say. “You're awake.” He shifted his gaze over to Hidan and failed to suppress his hacking. “Damn, that sounds bad.” Hidan looked concerned - a look that shouldn't suit him.

“Where are we?” Kakuzu croaked, his voice sounding unfamiliar.

He watched Hidan begin cleaning up the garbage as he spoke. “At a hotel in the next town along the road. And before you start bitching about it being expensive, fuck you, it was the first one I could find while carrying your fat ass. Go on a diet, why don't ya?”

Ignoring the unnecessary comment on his weight, he thought, _He carried me? From which point?_ He pinched the bridge of his nose. “How long have I been out?” He was having difficulty believing the clock.

Hidan groaned as he thought. “You passed out in the snow two days ago.” Kakuzu didn't respond, still trying to recall what had happened. “You _are_ awake now, right?”

“Mmm.”

“Okay, ‘cause you were in and out a few times, speaking gibberish.”

That's a lie, right? He narrowed his eyes at Hidan.

“Kidding, kidding,” Hidan waved him off. “But you did doze in and out. I wish you would speak even if it were gibberish. It's so hard to tell if your conscious or not.”

Kakuzu wanted to glare and tell Hidan to stop talking but was overcome with another fit.

“Here,” Hidan said, handing Kakuzu a bottle of water. “I can get you something to eat if you want.”

He begrudgingly accepted Hidan's charity. His face felt hot with fever and the cool water temporarily satiated his raw throat. Kakuzu put the bottle to the side and lay back down, aware that he was being watched.

“We should stay here a couple of more days. Just to rest up and heal. And it's not like we can't afford it,” Hidan added.

There was a lot of ‘we’ being said. Like the two had made a unanimous decision to be here. Kakuzu turned over so his back faced Hidan. He didn't want to look at him - not while he was in this weakened state. He had worked so hard to become stronger and a simple fever had reduced him to becoming a burden.

“I don't even get a thank you? I could have left your sorry ass to freeze to death in the snow, you know.”

Great. Now Hidan thought he could mouth off to him. Kakuzu grit his teeth. A _t this point I'd rather be dead than owe you another favor._

“Tch! Whatever. I’m going out.” He heard the door slam and silence fell in the room once more.

~~~

Three days more. Three days after he had initially woken up they stayed at the hotel while Kakuzu recovered and finally they were back on the road. The worst of his illness was over a day earlier and Hidan had _graciously_ let him have the bed throughout their stay. But he wouldn't let Kakuzu forget that.

It was odd to be waited on. It was almost like they were back in the hideout when he'd been too weak to care for himself. Kakuzu hated it. Hidan was the last person he wanted to take care of him  - not that he wanted anyone to care for him.

Hidan got him food and medicine for his fever and cough but refused to divulge how much it was costing him. He disappeared during the day, only coming by to drop off meals, and returned at night to sleep. Kakuzu was asleep for most of the days, the drugs making him too drowsy to do anything else. He refused to take any meds yesterday, knowing his body had fought off the sickness and was in recovery. He wanted to be alert today, not drugged into a stupor.

He could guess that Hidan had been drugging the food, though, he couldn't prove it, and ended up going out to get his own meals for the first time in days. He wasn't a hundred percent better but it was going to have to be good enough.

Hidan wasn't happy, complaining that they should wait a little longer. If Kakuzu let him have his way, they'd spend the entire winter holed up in hotel rooms.

Bundled up, they followed the roads north. It must have snowed again last night because a fresh, undisturbed layer covered the surrounding area.

Hidan sneezed. “Great. If I get sick it’s your fault. And I never get sick.”

“That’s because idiots don’t catch colds,” Kakuzu chided.

Hidan scowled in return. “I don’t get sick because Jashin-sama has given me a perfect body.”

Rolling his eyes, Kakuzu surged ahead. He wasn’t in the mood to listen to Hidan’s religious nonsense. Not today. Not ever. He groaned as Hidan caught up but his partner was done preaching and moved on to complaining about the weather. Again. He tuned him out, a skill he was becoming incredibly good at, and focused on his foot placement.

His mind wandered some. He really should be a little more grateful. He could have died out in the snow had Hidan not taken care of him. He hated to owe him more but the imbalance of favors was dangerously tipping and not in his direction. But Kakuzu’s purpose in being brought back was still unknown to him. He never brought it up but it bothered him. Ate away at him.

Why was his life so valuable to Hidan?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you all haven't noticed, this is the slowest of burns and I appreciate the dedication in sticking with me while this drags on. I'm hitting a point where I haven't exactly fleshed out the series of events between now and the third quarter of the story (bear with me, I've only just started the second quarter) so updates may be few and far between.  
> But thank you to all my readers! I do read all of your comments though I may not respond to all. Your continued support keeps me motivated!


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for Kakuzu to (begrudgingly) return the favor.

Although he couldn't see it, the sun was setting fast. Visibility was greatly reducing as the snowfall turned into a blizzard and Kakuzu had no choice but to look for shelter. They wandered around, wind whipping the tiny ice particles into their eyes. Hidan stuck close to him, yelling what he already knew.

Kakuzu didn't want to admit that they were lost. The storm had hid the roads and signs and he couldn't use the sun or stars to navigate. Everything around them looked the same: pine trees covered in snow and ice, too sparse to block out the worst of the wind. He was beginning to formulate a plan to build a shelter out of snow when at last he spotted a large shadow amongst the trees. He altered directions and headed for it.

What luck. An old cabin, it's roof half collapsed, resided sadly between a few trees. He inspected the structure and carefully began moving the splintered wood that wasn't supporting anything.

“Are you serious?” Hidan shouted at him.

“It's either this or a hole, Hidan,” Kakuzu yelled back. He couldn't hear any rebuttal but he was sure Hidan was complaining. Together, they shifted enough of the old wood aside to make an opening large enough to pass through and headed inside. Even with half of the roof collapsed, the snow had hardly reached the more intact half. The wind howled outside but couldn't reach them through the windowless walls as Kakuzu set to work making a torch with the old wood. He passed it to Hidan, who greedily snatched it, and wove a few signs. “Earth Release: Earth Pillars.” He slammed his palms onto the rotten floor and summoned up several columns of rock along the edges until they just slightly touched the ceiling. The place was falling apart and the last thing he wanted was to lose the driest place in the area.

“I f-f-fucking _hate_ you,” Hidan shivered. “Dragging me out here into a... god damn blizzard.”

Kakuzu ignored him and began rummaging through the building for anything that could be helpful. There wasn't much. Whoever had lived here had long since been gone and much of it had been cleaned out. Rodents had made the most of the space, skittering in a panic as Kakuzu disturbed their nests and hiding places. What little blankets he could find had been chewed through and were probably riddled with disease. But beggars can't be choosers.

He had also managed to find a lantern. The glass had cracks and looked ready to fall apart but at least he had conveniently found a tin of oil next it. With that lit, he had more light to work with.

Kakuzu tore out the floorboards in the center of the room and quickly made a small hole. Not too long after that he had a small fireplace built from dirt with a chimney that stretched up through the roof. It had taken a lot of concentration and chakra to manipulate the earth but when all was said and done, he was satisfied with it.

A fire warmed the air and they nestled close to it. They used parts of the building as kindling and sat with one of the blankets under them. Hidan wrapped himself in the only other blanket Kakuzu could find and shivered.

Hidan coughed and sniffled. “My throat is so dry. Is the ice melted yet?” Kakuzu passed him a half frozen water bottle. He grumbled and drank what little water there was in it. “I hate the cold. Why couldn't we meet them somewhere warmer? Like a hot spring or a volcano?” He snuggled deeper into his coat.

“We can't be too far now.”

Hidan sneezed a few times and groaned once he was done. “You say that but how are we gonna find it in all this snow?”

“It’ll be fine.” Kakuzu laid down behind him so his back was to Hidan.

He heard a whine. “Where the hell am I supposed to sleep?”

“Right where you're sitting, Hidan,” he told him. “Get some sleep. There's no need to keep watch tonight.”

Hidan groaned before lying down beside him. “Because only a fucking idiot would want to be out in this storm,” he mumbled.

Kakuzu didn’t respond and let his own exhaustion take hold. It _was_ cold out and he wished he’d found a larger blanket. The thought of sharing it wasn’t the most pleasant idea but neither was freezing to death so when Hidan bumped into him, he didn't mind as much. He let Hidan hog the heat of their little fire and have the only other blanket because he was sure he needed it.

Hidan wasn’t looking good and was affected more by the cold than Kakuzu had first believed. He thought he was just exaggerating but it's hard to fake shivering and a frostbitten nose. Even now, beside the fire, wrapped up in more clothes than what should be comfortable, Hidan vibrated from the chill. Aside from setting the cabin on fire, there wasn't much Kakuzu could do to heat him up. For now they were just going to have to wait out the storm.

~~~

Kakuzu awoke to near silence. The twittering of a few nearby birds signaled the end of the storm and the rise of the sun. He sat up, stiff from huddling in the same position to keep warm. The fire had died out, not even a smoldering heap of coals. Sunlight filtered in through the cracks of the dilapidated roof, snow sprinkling down like dust. If he listened closely, he could hear the scuttling of the mice across the floor.

He bumped his knee into Hidan. “Get up, Hidan.” He got to his feet and stretched but Hidan didn't budge. Kakuzu used his foot to rock him. “Hidan, wake up.” Still no response. Bending down, he rolled Hidan over. “Hidan?” he tried again. Kakuzu ungloved a hand and pressed the back of his fingers to Hidan’s face. Despite his reddened cheeks and nose, he was cold. Unnaturally cold. Kakuzu felt into Hidan’s throat to find a pulse. He was breathing but his breaths were short and faint and the pulse was fast but weak. Kakuzu shook him again and called out his name. Still nothing.

“I guess you aren't an idiot,” Kakuzu mumbled. He sighed. “Great.” _I’m not even sure where we are._ He wasn't about to carry Hidan around the mountain without a destination in mind.

He started up the fire again and folded the blanket he'd used more as a mat over Hidan. Once he was sure the flames wouldn't die out too quickly, he set out the hole they had dug out last night only this time the frozen crystals were up to his knees.

The untouched snow blinded him as it reflected the light. Kakuzu looked around, trying to find a high place so he could see where they were. He focused chakra to his feet and stepped up to the top layer of white. A few kilometers away he spotted a mountain peak and headed for it.

~~~

An orange glow filled his vision as he woke up slowly. _Where…?_ Hidan cleared his throat and quickly regretted it. His mouth was dry and irritated and his throat felt raw. He coughed violently and tasted phlegm and blood. Rising on shaky hands, he looked around blearily. That's right. They had camped out in an abandoned house. _Kakuzu… Where's Kakuzu?_ Hidan pulled the blankets around him and huddled on the floor. His eyes and nose stung and his sinuses were clogged and burning. He could hardly breathe through his nose and swallowing hurt. He'd never experienced this before. Was this what it was like to be sick? Was this how Kakuzu had felt last week?

The fire had little remaining life to it and not even its heat could comfort him. “Kakuzu?” Hidan croaked; his own voice was unrecognizable. He coughed uncontrollably again, doubling over as his entire body shook. Once it subsided, he rose to his feet. _Did he leave? Without me?_ Hidan grabbed his scythe and stumbled over to the exit. He peered outside. Snow was falling but at least he could see. The exit had been cleared but only for a short length and Hidan couldn’t find any trace of footprints. The snow had to be a meter deep - walking through it would be impossible. He focused his chakra to his outer extremities and climbed on top. He coughed again, tasting blood and spotting red flecks on the snow under him. Hidan pulled the blankets over his head.

All around him he saw the same scenery. He had no idea which way they had come from and which way Kakuzu had gone - if he should even follow his so called partner. No doubt, Kakuzu had disappeared some time ago. Losing Hidan here was probably Kakuzu's best shot of getting rid of him.

Hidan felt abandoned. Alone. He'd put his faith in Kakuzu and was paying the price.

_Fuck, I’m an idiot. Who in their fucking right mind trusts someone like Kakuzu?_

~~~

Kakuzu leapt down and jogged over to the cabin entrance. Clouds had moved in some time ago and the light flurry was rapidly becoming another storm. He needed to fetch Hidan now that he knew what direction the nearest town was in but he stopped abruptly at the hole.

Although the new blanket of snow hid away most of the evidence, it was obvious that someone or something had made a mess of his dugout. Kakuzu jumped down and rushed inside. “Hidan?” he called out. He moved to the room they had camped out in and spun around. Hidan was gone. As were the blankets and his scythe.

The fireplace was cold to the touch. _Dammit!_ Kakuzu knew he had been away longer than he had wanted to but he didn't think it had been that long. _For once I wish he'd do what I want!_ He charged outside and cupped his hands over his mouth. “Hidan!” he yelled. An echo off the mountainside answered back. He tried again, the faded echo of his shout the only sound for miles. He’d never yelled so loudly before and it made his throat ache.

~~~

Kakuzu ran as fast as he could without losing his balance on top of the fields of white. The wind mask circled up ahead having found something for the second time. He hoped it was the real thing and not another herd of deer. He was running out of daylight and a night search would be next to impossible.

He wasn't sure if Hidan could actually die and they said freezing to death was a quiet way to go. But would it be? He’d already spent decades in a pit the least he needed right now was another trauma. Kakuzu pressed forward.

His concern stunned him. He never really came to Hidan’s aid, only patching him up because hauling him in pieces was extra work. He was obligated to in Akatsuki less he be forced to be on hold while a new partner was arranged for him. But now, the only thing tying him to Hidan was the stack of favors for his second shot at life and the realization that it could be taken away. Since Hidan couldn’t die, he also couldn’t be silenced. Twenty years is a long enough time to forget about someone but not for the Leaf brats who’d sought out revenge. If he pissed Hidan off enough for deserting him now, his free rein would come crashing down and would spend the rest of his life on the run.

That had to be the only reasons he searched for Hidan now.

The wind mask dived as he closed the distance. It was a shame the monstrosities lacked any real intelligence or else he'd rely on them more often. But they typically could only serve as weapons, or more precisely, an extension of Kakuzu. They could only obey his whims so much before they ceased functioning. He hoped it'd found Hidan - otherwise he'll have to give up the search.

It stood over a mound in the snow, waiting patiently as Kakuzu approached. It looked like it'd made another mistake until he spotted the scythe blades poking through the white fluff. He rushed over and brushed off the snow. “Hidan!” Kakuzu shouted as he rolled over the body. He shook him and tapped his reddened face, calling out his name again. There was no response. He faced the wind mask and willed it to bend over. Kakuzu cast away the blankets - they were stiff from freezing - and peeled off his own coat. He wrapped Hidan in it and hoisted him up onto the wind mask's back. The tendrils slithered around Hidan, absorbing him into the mass. It wasn't capable of flying with the added weight, but it could carry him. Kakuzu sent it ahead and followed after it.

Night was falling fast and the nearest town was an hour away at a running pace. Kakuzu was already exhausted and knew that during the last stretch he would have to carry Hidan to avoid anyone seeing the wind monster.

He didn’t think twice about helping Hidan; it just felt like a natural thing to do.

~~~

It was dark. And cold. And it hurt to breathe. Hidan slowly turned his head. It felt like he was moving but at the same time his entire body was numb. His vision continuously blurred and faded in and out but he could just make out someone.

_I'm being... carried?_ Hidan wanted to move but he couldn't feel his hands. His eyes adjusted as the light increased, the shadows and highlights making out the familiar features of a cloth-covered face. _Kakuzu…? He came back for me?_ He wanted to speak but his mouth wouldn’t cooperate.

Kakuzu turned to look at him with eyes wide with shock. “Hang on, Hidan,” he heard him say. He said something else but the blackness of unconsciousness stole his hearing and eyesight once more.

The next thing he felt was a burning sensation encompassing his entire body. The pain shocked him awake and the sudden light blinded him. Hidan flailed and panicked when something pulled him down.

“Calm down!” a gruff voice commanded. He knew that voice.

Hidan held still and turned to look at what was holding him. Kakuzu was beside him, a firm grip on his shoulders. Hidan eased into him, his panic subsiding, and took in his surroundings. He was in a tub filled with hot water that sent steam into the air. The mirrors were fogged and the multiple lights gave off a yellow hue. Hidan relaxed and rested his head on the side of the tub. The hot water stung his numb limbs but he soon found it welcoming.

Kakuzu’s grip lessoned and then left after a moment of hesitation. “Are you awake?”

Hidan moaned a response. He was too tired to speak.

“Soak in there for awhile.” Hidan listened to him leave but didn't respond. Instead he melted into the hot water like it wanted him to and felt it thaw out his frozen limbs. The burning sensation faded as he grew numb to the heat. Hidan could hardly feel anything.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed but he was startled awake when Kakuzu reentered. The bathroom had lost its steamy atmosphere and the cold gust of air that swept through the open door sent a shiver through Hidan.

Half asleep, he watched Kakuzu pull the plug and the tub begin to drain. He then closed the door and gathered up a few white towels. “Come on, Hidan. Time to get out,” Kakuzu told him.

Hidan huffed. He didn't want to leave. Why couldn't Kakuzu just turn the hot water back on and leave him be? But he knew he wasn't going to win. Hidan went to stand but found that he had little strength in his legs. He ended up sliding further down into the few remaining inches of lukewarm bath water and groaned in his defeat.

A firm hand gripped his arm and pulled him up. Hidan scrambled to get his footing and yelled through a husky voice, “Ow! Ow! Put me down! I don't need your help!”

“That's too bad,” Kakuzu countered. He threw a towel around Hidan and scooped him up. Hidan yelped in surprise, feeling his face grow hot with embarrassment. Kakuzu almost immediately placed him onto the floor where a towel was laid out. Hidan brought his knees to his chin and wrapped his own towel around him. “Dry off and get dressed,” Kakuzu ordered. He dropped a set of clothing beside Hidan.

Shivering, Hidan hid away as Kakuzu undressed and began his own shower. The humidity came back within minutes and loosened the mucus in his lungs. Hidan coughed until he was finally able to hack and spit out the phlegm into the trashcan. He felt gross after that even though he’d just come out of the bath. Shakily, he returned to his spot on the floor and rested.

He was slow to move and put on his clothes - he didn't want to leave the comfort of his already warm towel. But he also knew Kakuzu would throw a fit if he didn’t. It was embarrassing enough to be carried around the last thing he needed was for his partner to dress him.

Hidan was pulling on the last sock when Kakuzu finished. He shyly turned away as the man stepped out but once Kakuzu's back was turned he snuck a peek. It really wasn't fair with how muscular the other man was. He's only been alive for less than a year and already regained his former body while Hidan, on the other hand, struggled just to maintain his weight. The four masks stitched into his back stared back with hollow eyes. Hidan averted his gaze, slightly worried that they could see and were silently judging him. He wasn’t entirely envious. Kakuzu may have the muscles but the stitches ruined his overall appeal.

He moved his feet out of the way as Kakuzu passed by with only a towel around his waist. It was strange seeing him without his face covered. Even when Kakuzu was sick and Hidan had removed the mask when he was trying to get his temperature down it was like he was looking at a different person. It was always strange to see the real thing. Almost all of Hidan’s time with Kakuzu had been spent with his face covered. Whenever he imagined his grumpy partner, it was always with the mask.

Kakuzu returned fully clothed and carried a small brown bottle. Hidan watched as he poured a bright red liquid into a cup and passed it to Hidan. “Drink it,” he ordered.

Hidan took it and gave it a sniff. “What is it?” Even with his clogged nose he could detect the sharp hint of imitation cherry.

“It's medicine. What else would it be?” he growled.

“For what, kids?” Kakuzu didn't actually think he was a child, did he?

He leaned a hip against the counter and crossed his arms. “It was the only thing in stock that didn't require a prescription. I wasn't about to threaten the store clerk over drugs.”

“You could have bribed him like I did,” Hidan mumbled. He downed the cold medicine like a shot and grimaced at the taste before passing the cup back to Kakuzu. He leaned back against the wall and shivered. “What?” he asked once he noticed Kakuzu staring.

“Do you plan to sleep on the floor tonight?”

Hidan scowled. “Maybe I am.” In reality, he didn’t want to but his body was unresponsive to his own whims. At the moment, the best he could manage was a crawl. There was an audible sigh from Kakuzu and then he moved. “What are you…? No, stop!” He coughed in between his pleas as Kakuzu hoisted him onto his shoulder and carried him out of the bathroom. “I don’t need your help!” He was thrown onto the bed and covered in blankets in seconds. “Is this how you treat sick people, you asshole?” This didn’t seem like fair treatment to Hidan. When he had taken care of Kakuzu, he’d at least been careful not to disturb him.

“Stop talking and go to sleep.” Kakuzu rounded the bed and turned off the lights.

The lack of energy to keep up the argument won. Hidan felt weak and exhausted as he relaxed into the blankets. With the lights off he could feel his consciousness slipping but he wasn’t so tired as to not feel the other side of the bed shift. Curious, he glanced beside him with half-lidded eyes. Kakuzu was easing under the top most layer of blankets before growing still. _I can’t have the bed to myself?_ Hidan sulked. The bed _was_ large enough to share but that didn’t mean they had to.

He felt a chill run through him. The weight of the blankets piled on top of him should have been stifling but he found himself wishing there were more. He still felt cold and a little numb but his body wouldn’t let him fight back. He coughed a little but nothing serious enough that would keep him from passing out. He listened for signs of life in Kakuzu but it was the hum of the heater that lulled him to sleep.

~~~

Something bumped into his back, jolting him awake. Kakuzu tried to twist around and see but whatever was behind him was too close. He flipped over and frowned. Hidan had somehow managed to roll in beside him, sound asleep, with a slight wheeze at every inhale.

He shook a fist and then tapped his forehead with it. He so badly wanted to throw Hidan out of the bed but other than a chair at the small office table, the floor was the only other option for sleep. And Hidan needed the rest. They both did.

He gently shoved Hidan back to the other side of the bed, hearing him moan a little in his sleep. Kakuzu supposed this wasn't the worst wake up he’s had. Compared to the alternative being Hidan’s night terrors, this was insignificant. But that didn't mean he enjoyed it.

He built a wall of pillows between them before lying back down. _Honestly, I don't know why I put up with you,_ he thought as he cast one last glance in Hidan’s direction.

~~~

Blinking the bleariness away, Hidan stared absentmindedly at the dark shape in front of him. A light was changing in intensity behind the silhouette and he could hear the faint sound of someone talking. Hidan rubbed his eyes and focused harder. Kakuzu was the dark shape sitting at the back of the bed and it was a TV that was glowing in front of him. Hidan glanced around without moving and saw that the room was mostly dark excluding a light from the bathroom. _What time is it?_ He pulled the covers down enough to see what Kakuzu was doing. He had a paper in his hand but he was staring intently at the television. A woman was on the screen pointing at different towns and cities, talking about the future weather. More snow was on the way.

He looked back at Kakuzu. _Is he making plans?_ Hidan couldn’t help but worry that Kakuzu was going to leave. He thought things had been going okay between them and that they were looking out for each other. But maybe he had it wrong.

He suddenly coughed, attracting the attention of his partner. He watched Kakuzu twist around and look at him. Caught, Hidan sat up and cleared his throat. “What time is it?” he tried asking. His voice was hoarse and hardly more than a whisper. Hidan rubbed his throat in confusion.

“About three in the afternoon.”

_Then why is it so dark outside?_

Kakuzu answered his thoughts. “The sun’s setting but most of it is blocked by the storm clouds. We’re not going to be able to leave anytime soon, so,” he said as he got up from his spot on the bed and headed for the desk, “just keep resting.” He handed Hidan another cup of the cough medicine but Hidan scowled. “Take it,” he ordered with a slight growl.

Grumbling, Hidan downed it and shivered in disgust at the taste. He passed the cup back and looked at the stack of pillows beside him. If he had to guess, it was probably a wall to separate them. “Should we get a different room? One with two beds?”

“There aren't any available. This place is full and I had to bribe the woman at the desk just to get this one. There's a large group of vacationers or... _something_ staying so they forced them to room together to make space for us,” Kakuzu explained bitterly.

“Huh… And how much did this cost?” He was curious to know how much Kakuzu dropped just to give them a proper place to sleep.

There was low grumble from Kakuzu. Too much was the answer. “We need to watch our spending,” he growled then moved across the room and shut off the TV.

Hidan whined. “What if I wanted to watch something?”

“No, you need to rest.” He put on his coat and reached for the door. “I’ll be back shortly.” He closed the door behind him.

Hidan huffed and collapsed back into the bed. He was feeling better than he was yesterday but he wasn't sure if he was ready to fall back to sleep.

After staring up at the ceiling for some time, he turned towards the desk and narrowed his eyes. Kakuzu had folded the paper he had earlier and placed it with their other things before giving him the medication. Hidan leaned forward, cast one long look at the door, and then shuffled over to the desk. He rummaged around carefully until he found the paper and unfolded it. A map. Hidan frowned. Of course it was; what else would it have been? There was a thin line in pencil tracing routes up to a ‘X’ beside a small town. That had to be their destination. The line began at another small town surrounded by drawings of mountains. _This must be where we are._ There didn't seem to be much left to travel but it was further north of their location.

Hidan groaned and put the map back. He wasn’t looking forward to going into territory with _more_ snow but at least Kakuzu had made it sound like his plans included Hidan. He moved back to the bed and glanced at the TV. A _little_ bit of television couldn’t hurt, right?

~~~

Hidan was fast asleep as Kakuzu returned. Despite his instructions, the television was on but the volume was still low. Kakuzu moved across the room and put down the shopping bags. He set out their contents: several containers of to-go food that had taken Kakuzu some time to hunt down. The blizzard had sent many of the local businesses to close and the few that had reopened were swarmed with people with the same goals as him.

It had been bad luck that the nearest town was more known as a resort of some sorts. From what he gathered from the multitude of travel brochures in the hotel lobby, this town was famous for its winter sports appeal. Something called ‘skiing’ was the more popular phrase. Kakuzu had shaken his head at the audacity of it. He couldn’t grasp how people flocked to the mountains just to ride on sticks through the snow. Then he grew a little sick at the prices. Now the cost of the hotel they were staying at made sense.

He shook Hidan’s shoulder and told him to wake up. Flinching awake, Hidan looked at him, confused. “Sit up and eat,” Kakuzu ordered and held out a bowl of udon.

Hidan did what he was told and greedily began slurping up the noodles. Kakuzu exhaled loudly, disapproving of Hidan’s lack of manners, and sat down at the desk with his own bowl. They ate in silence, only the low droll of the television and Hidan’s occasional cough between them. Kakuzu was counting this as repayment for when their roles were reversed just the other week. The less he owed Hidan the better.

~~~

Hidan mumbled incoherently in his sleep, pulling Kakuzu from his thoughts. Four days they’d been trapped at the hotel not because Hidan was still sick but because the constant snowfall had hindered his plans. They were already behind schedule and the weather was not only _not_ in their favor, but they were running low on funds. The hotel was draining him of his resources and Kakuzu was contemplating burning this place to the ground for its outlandish pricing.

His mind no longer allowing him sleep, he sat up and switched on the TV, pressing the channel button on the remote until he found the weather. This technology frustrated him to no end but he had to admit it had its uses. He was able to obtain information for a week’s worth of weather and headlining news in a matter of minutes compared to delayed information in newspapers and bingo books. It really was something. But it bothered him too. If news could be spread this quick and easily, then his long-term plans were at risk. It would take days, weeks, sometimes months before a criminal’s face reached some of the more remote areas. Now it was only a matter of hours before the world knew.

The destruction of the Crows had made headlines a couple of weeks back. Kakuzu had seen a few small reports on it about a day or two after he and Hidan had killed them all. The initial news had been a shock factor for its audience: that a group of nearly forty men and women had been killed off in a ‘gruesome scene.’ That the person or persons responsible were still at large and considered dangerous. They had even listed the names of the ‘victims’ about a week later after the Land of Stones had released the information. It had been a wise choice to kill off everyone and burn the place to the ground. Any survivors would have exposed Kakuzu and Hidan and it would be _their_ faces plastered all over the screens.

To his delight, Yugure, the organization they were on their way to joining, was never mentioned on the news reports. The confidence he had that they were a capable group provided him with some solace that he hadn’t known he needed. More so now that he’d returned the favor of being nursed back to health by Hidan. Much to his disgust, it seems they were destined to look out for each other.

“Mmm… ‘kuzu…” Hidan mumbled.

Kakuzu watched him, wondering what he could be dreaming about to say his name. It bothered him immensely - that Hidan _dreamed_ about him. This wasn’t the first time he’d heard his name pass through the unconscious lips and it certainly won’t be the last. He considered confronting Hidan about it; ask why it was that he stuck around or why he hadn’t brought up attacking the Leaf since his revival. It was perplexing to say the least.

The news changed to a report on a Kage Summit and Kakuzu’s jaw set. A young lineup of the five Kage spanned half the screen but his eyes fell on the blonde: the Uzumaki brat. Dwelling on his smoldering rage for the jinchuriki was a welcome feeling compared to the comfortable familiarity shared with Hidan. He studied the faces on the screen, committing them to memory. All five of them young, bright, and according to reports: a united front.

What happened to the rivalry and hatred? Why even bother continuing this farce as shinobi? For the sake of peace?

_Hmm. No._ Kakuzu shut off the television. It was human nature to be competitive; to desire power over the weak. It was impossible for humans to always get along. _They’ll be at each other's throats soon enough._


End file.
